MSPs back campaign for dedicated Gaelic school set up in Edinburgh

A CROSS-PARTY group of MSPs has added its weight to a campaign for a dedicated Gaelic school for Edinburgh.

A consultation organised by the city council ends on Monday on whether a new Gaelic medium educaton (GME) school is opened in Bonnington or existing facilities at Tolcross are developed.

The Scottish Parliament's cross-party group on Gaelic has agreed to write to the council supporting the case for a new dedicated school.

It says it is important GME has the opportunity to grow and expand in Edinburgh. Group convener John Farquhar Munro said parents and pupils in the capital should benefit from the same provision offered in Glasgow and Inverness, where there are dedicated Gaelic schools.

"The extent of parental demand for GME is quite clear, especially where stand-alone Gaelic schools are provided, rather than Gaelic medium units within larger schools," he said.

"We understand the council is largely supportive of this initiative and as a group were keen to encourage them to take this next step and to move GME to the next level in Edinburgh." The city's branch of the Gaelic parents' organisation Comunn nam Prant says if a new school is not opened, the number of pupils able to take GME will have to be capped.

The number of children learning through Gaelic at Tollcross Primary has risen from 90 to 158 in the past six years.

Supporters of a dedicated school say they are the most successful educational model for developing minority languages, increasing fluency and developing bilingualism.