MANY parents are drawn to Gaelic education, perhaps because bilingualism has been shown to have real cognitive benefits, but it is not always easy to find a place for their children. That is why a group of families from East Renfrewshire asked their council to look into the idea of a new Gaelic school. The parents could see the benefits for others and wanted the option for their own children.
So what is to be learned from the fact that the idea did not get far? The council says not enough families were interested; the parents say the council’s response was deliberately designed to put people off. The problem, as far as Rob Dunbar, chair of Celtic languages at Edinburgh University, is concerned, is that there is no one to resolve the difference of opinion.
Professor Dunbar’s preferred solution is a Gaelic commissioner who could rule on whether councils are living up to their obligations and it is a good idea. Look at Ireland: the commissioner there has been been publicly shaming government and local authorities for their failures on the Irish language.
The same transformation could happen with a Gaelic commissioner in Scotland. The law says that parents have the right to have the case for a Gaelic school or unit seriously considered by their council. But what is the point of a law without a mechanism for enforcing it?
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