£4 million funding boost for Gaelic 5/1/13
The Scottish Government is to provide an extra £4 million to support Gaelic and improve
Gaelic schools across Scotland.
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Gaelic College has been awarded £3 million to secure a long term
future for the college and surrounding area. The funding will help develop the new
village of Kilbeg near the Skye campus to provide more education, residential and
business accommodation to ensure the long-term regeneration of the area.
Additional funding of £1 million will be available for local authorities across the
country to bid in to through the Gaelic Schools Capital Fund to support new or expanded
Gaelic medium education.
Gaelic Minister Alasdair Allan said: “Sabhal Mòr Ostaig makes an important contribution
to the area beyond its obvious tuition and promotion of Gaelic. This funding will
help create new opportunities for the college and secure its future and to extend
its education, cultural and economic role within Skye and throughout Scotland.
“Ongoing improvements to deliver better facilities and infrastructure for Gaelic
medium education demonstrates the increasing demand to support young children develop
bilingual language skills as part of their natural development.”
Councils which provide Gaelic Medium Education (GME) will benefit from the additional
£1 million investment to the Gaelic Schools Capital Fund. In the past the fund has
allowed for expansion in GME through building schools, renovation of schools, improvements
in facilities, and providing demountable classrooms. In the past the Gaelic Schools
Capital Fund has supported projects in Argyll and Bute, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Highland
and North Lanarkshire.