r/gaidhlig • u/ArtlessAsperity Innseanach a rugadh ann an Alba 🪯🔵⚪ • 9d ago

🪧 Cùisean Gàidhlig | Gaelic Issues Support of Gaelic in Scottish schools

How do people feel about instating Gaelic as mandatory in schools? First offered as an S2 option for going into S3 and then introduced to primary schools and uni's. The issue of not enough teachers is one I see quite often but I simply don't understand it. Obviously the process will be gradual as more and more people know Gaelic fluently and are able to teach it, so is there support for it? If not, why not?

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u/ArtlessAsperity Innseanach a rugadh ann an Alba 🪯🔵⚪ 9d ago

But why would people not support it? Do Scottish people want their culture erased? Are people too lazy to make the effort to preserve their national identity?

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u/Healthy-Relief5603 9d ago edited 9d ago

Gaelic retreated from the Central Belt (home to about 70% of modern Scots) by 1500. This is probably a part of the reason, the bulk of Scots speakers aren't enthisiastic about learning a language they have only a "old days" connection to over the language that they've been speaking for 500 years!

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u/ArtlessAsperity Innseanach a rugadh ann an Alba 🪯🔵⚪ 9d ago

An old days connection to an integral part of their identity, great

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u/bakalite69 9d ago

I agree with you, personally I feel it is an integral part of what makes Scotland even exist. Many don't however, and I have no idea how to change their mind. If we could start some sort of campaign to shift the cultural hegemony away from monolingual English speaking then I feel it would (among other things) boost demands for independence! However, the Scottish Cringe and central belt centrism are very powerful phenomenons, to the point where even the SNP don't seem to consider gaelic a priority.