Gaelic bears

I was shocked to read that taxpayers in Aberdeenshire are being asked to pay £300,000 to meet the Scottish Government’s Gaelic language plan to promote the “acquisition of speaking, reading and writing skills in Gaelic” (your report, 15 September).

By The Newsroom

Published 17th Sep 2015, 01:02 BST

I understand that, more specifically, this money is to be used to buy a “Gaelic-speaking teddy bear” for every library and nursery in Aberdeenshire and to meet the cost of making Aberdeenshire road signs bilingual as well as funding a Gaelic language officer.

At a time when public money is badly needed to eradicate child poverty and improve failing educational standards in Scottish schools is it really appropriate to insist that cash–strapped councils use their scarce resources to promote the Gaelic language?

Sally Gordon-Walker

Caiystane Drive

Edinburgh