Parents revolt over failure to find Gaelic headmaster in Inverness

PARENTS at one of Scotland’s two dedicated Gaelic primary schools have begun an online campaign to find a headteacher who speaks the language after repeated efforts by the council failed produce a suitable candidate.

PARENTS at one of Scotland’s two dedicated Gaelic primary schools have begun an online campaign to find a headteacher who speaks the language after repeated efforts by the council failed produce a suitable candidate.

Highland Council has advertised seven times for a fluent Gaelic speak to fill the £41,850-a-year post, but officials have been unable to find a qualified candidate for the job at Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Ni (BSGI) in Inverness.

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Annika Jansson, from Sweden, has been acting head at the 155-pupil school since the post fell vacant in March 2009.

Now parents have turned to social media, with a Facebook and Twitter campaign aimed at broadening the search for a Gaelic-speaking headteacher. “It has been suggested that the language criterion is reduced to enable non-Gaelic speakers to be considered and appointed,” the parents have written on their website. “Many parents feel that this is unacceptable.

“We believe that a fluent Gaelic headteacher is essential for our school because is it is essential for our children who are the future of Gaelic. Gaelic-medium education should embrace and include all aspects of Gaelic culture, not just the language.”

They added: “It sets a precedent for other Gaelic-medium schools not only in the Highlands but across Scotland.”

One parent wrote: “Unfortunately, as a result of having a non-Gaelic speaking acting head for the last two years, the Gaelic language environment within the school has deteriorated significantly. Each term there are appears to be more and more activities within the school that are delivered through English rather than Gaelic, which is affecting the children’s understanding and appreciation of the language.”

A spokeswoman for Highland Council said: “We understand it is a small group of parents who are disgruntled and the majority are very supportive to the current acting headteacher.”

She continued: “It has been, and always will be our first, best option that the headteacher at BSGI is a fluent Gaelic speaker. Up until the last advert, we have always insisted that a fluent-speaking headteacher is required.

“The wording was revised for this advert specifically to try and encourage those with some Gaelic background to come forward. This advert makes it very clear that any applicant who is not a fluent speaker has to develop skills to an acceptable standard.

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“We will work with any appointee to get their Gaelic language skills up to an acceptable standard where this is required.”

John Angus Mackay, the chief executive of Bòrd na Gàidhlig Ceannard, the agency devoted to improving the status of Gaelic, said: “There is absolutely no doubt that we want to see every Gaelic school run by Gaelicspeaking staff, but we are in a position that the means to that end are not always available.

“One of the problems we currently face is that the development of Gaelic-medium education requires radical measures if we are to keep the pace we want, and that will require finding people with a commitment to teaching and to learning the language.”

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