Fears over Gaelic school cash plea

EDUCATION chiefs want the Scottish Government to help expand the provision of Gaelic education in the city, but admit there's a "significant risk" they won't get the cash they need.

Schools bosses have come up with a plan to deal with the increasing number of youngsters taking up the language,

In addition to two options currently being considered, they are also considering extending the Gaelic medium education (GME) unit at Tollcross Primary to allow more pupils to attend.

They plan to ask the Scottish Government for the 1.66 million needed to build four extra classrooms and a new nursery facility at Tollcross.

However, this would require two funding applications to the Government and there is no guarantee it will be able to provide the full costs needed.

Education bosses have to come up with a long-term solution to address capacity issues at Tollcross, which has seen pupil numbers rise from 90 to 132 in the past five years.

It has outlined two other options to ease the pressures at Tollcross, which has had to sacrifice general purpose areas to provide extra classrooms.

One of the options would see a dedicated Gaelic school open in the old Bonnington Primary in Leith at a cost of over 2.2m.

As well as an initial 600,000 for "essential building works", the school would need 670,000 per year for running costs and the council would no longer be able to sell the 1m-valued building, closed by council bosses less than two years ago.

A second option would see a GME unit opened within Leith Walk Primary to run alongside Tollcross Primary, at a cost of 1.2m.

Alastair Cameron, chair of the Gaelic parents' group at Tollcross, said: "A dedicated school has always been our favoured option and we have provided evidence to the council as to why it is the best choice both educationally and financially."

Talks have already taken place between the city council and the Scottish Government on the availability of funding for any of the three options.

Latest discussions with the Scottish Government have highlighted that it would be "highly unlikely" that the council would receive more than a partial extra contribution towards the additional costs of expansion.No decisions will be taken until after the Scottish Government's funding review later this autumn though.

Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, the city's education leader, said: "Edinburgh has a long history of supporting quality Gaelic medium education and we are seeing demand for places increase as a result.

"School places are full and if growth continues we need to find funding to support it." Labour's education spokesman Paul Godzik said: "I welcome this report, there is a rising demand for Gaelic medium education, and the council have to look at how we satisfy that demand."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "The Scottish Government is aware of the success of the Gaelic medium unit in Edinburgh and the positive messages contained in the recent HMIE report on Gaelic in Tollcross Primary School."