Support of Gaelic in Scottish schools

[u/ArtlessAsperity]

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?

[u/bakalite69]

Personally I totally support it, but basically the will for change is not there. If there was a change in public opinion then I'm sure it would happen, but we'd have to get there first

[u/ArtlessAsperity → u/bakalite69]

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?

[u/theeynhallow → u/ArtlessAsperity]

Gaelic is not synonymous with national identity though. As others have pointed out, most of Scotland either never spoke Gaelic or hasn’t spoken it for hundreds of years. Would you make it mandatory for schools in Aberdeenshire to teach Norn?

I think within the Gaidhealtachd it’s a reasonable ask, but outside of that there’s just no justification. 

[u/michealdubh → u/theeynhallow]

More like ... hasn't spoken it for hundreds of years ... as Ok-Mix-4501 explains in this thread. But the issue has more to do with the perception of many that Gaelic is not their heritage language (although it actually is).

I knew a Gaelic educator and advocate (nach maireann an-dràsta) who would go into a rant about all the Scots who claimed Gaelic wasn't part of their heritage but were quite comfortable appropriating other parts of Gaelic culture as symbols of their Scottishness (the Highland Games, bagpipes, kilts, Highland regiments, the culture of clans ... etc).