Warning of crisis in Gaelic teacher recruitment

Former senior figures at Highland Council say there are not enough teachers to meet the needs of Gaelic medium education

The teaching of Gaelic in schools is in crisis due to a shortage of new teachers, according to a study.

It suggests over the next five years a minimum of 225 teachers would be needed to meet demand, but only 25 qualified for the whole of this year.

The analysis comes from a former leader and a former education boss at Highland Council.

The Scottish government said it was committed to supporting Gaelic medium education.

Dr Michael Foxley and Prof Bruce Robertson, a former director of education at Highland Council and visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde, carried out the study. Their paper has been submitted to a Scottish government consultation on Gaelic and Scots education.

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Dr Foxley and Prof Robertson said their study suggested there was already a recruitment crisis and the situation was likely to get significantly worse, with rural and island schools being the hardest hit.

They said a minimum of 135 new primary and 90 new secondary teachers would be required over the next five years to meet the needs of 19 local authorities already with Gaelic provision, or planning to introduce it.

The long-time supporters of the language warned there were no guarantees people who qualified as teachers would then choose to go into teaching, further reducing numbers of available teachers.

They have recommended financial incentives and greater flexibility for teachers to help address the problem.

Dr Michael Foxley is a former leader of Highland Council

The Scottish government said it would consider the analysis carefully.

A spokesman said: "The Scottish government is committed to supporting access to Gaelic medium education for those that wish to have it.

"Gaelic teachers are vital to this success and that is why we are continuing to work with a range of partners, including the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), initial teacher training institutions and Bord na Gaidhlig, to create pathways, such as the new Gaelic additional teaching qualification at the University of Strathclyde, for those who wish to enter the sector."

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Gaelic medium education begins in primary school and continues through into secondary school.

The aim is to help children to become fluent enough in the language so they can use it in other subjects at secondary school.