Good, a happy ending.

One of the problems (?advantages?) that having Gallic (or Welsh) schools is that they tend to be significantly better funded than ones where English is the primary language. Hence they tend to attract the more concerned parents who make more effort for their children’s education and therefore (unsurprisingly) the school does better.

This means that the nationalists then use this information to justify more Gallic (Welsh) schools. Perhaps if the invested the same amount of money, additional teachers for ALL schools, the differences would be smaller.

I am not saying that SBZ is wrong to make the choice, using the information in this thread I would have made the same choice. Learning any second language at a young age is brilliant gift that will help most people. I am not sure that in the world today, Gallic (or Welsh) would be the main choice. It ends up dividing people rather than opening up the world.

I am not sure that in the world today, Gallic (or Welsh) would be the main choice. It ends up dividing people rather than opening up the world.

On a local level learning the language allows you to fully join in your local community – if you live in an area with a high number of speakers, that is.

From what I gather you are always something of an outsider in parts of Wales if you don’t speak the language. It won’t open up the world, but it will open up Wales.

sadmadalan – Member
One of the problems (?advantages?) that having Gallic (or Welsh) schools is that they tend to be significantly better funded than ones where English is the primary language…
…It ends up dividing people rather than opening up the world.

And so they should be after all the effort that has been put into killing those languages over the last 400 years.

As for dividing the world, then we should all be speaking Cantonese/Mandarin as our primary language should we?

There was a mention of funding way up there somewhere^^^^^.

THey are talking about shifting teh Gealic part as it is so popular to its own site.

Supposedly Bonnington Primary is earmarked and work has begun. Easy for you and just a pedal along the cycle path.

Work has indeed started on renovating Bonnington Primary and turning it into a stand along Gaelic school. It was originally due to cost £1.8m or some similar value, but Edinburgh City Council let the listed building fall into a state of disrepair and the cost doubled.

Wont need to cycle along the cyclepath though as they have a bus which travels round the city picking the kids up and dropping them off. Good wee set up.

Only read the OP – how is this a dilemma? Language spoken world wide or a language spoken by druids?

Language spoken world wide or and a language spoken by druids some Scottish people?

FTFY

Oh FWIW – as a child, my wife only spoke Gaelic. She only started speaking English when she went to school.

Language spoken world wide or a language spoken by druids?

Pòg mo thòin

cruzheckler – Member
…Language spoken world wide or a language spoken by druids?

Why the insult? Just curious.

Edit: now, now, ditchjockey. 🙂

wheres the insult??

Pòg mo thòin – I do wish that I could find the website that had this saying plus an english translation in mp3 format.

Edit: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rmhttp/scotland/colinandcumberland/insults_1.mp3

apparently there’s an insult here somewhere but I can’t for the life of me see it

Wee update. The wee bugger would appear to have a talent for languages. He is picking up Gaelic really quickly, speaks a fair bit of French now and has no problems learning Korean for Tae Kwon do. It’s been a good move for us.

Well, that’s very good news.

As for dividing the world, then we should all be speaking Cantonese/Mandarin as our primary language should we?

I’m not denigrating Gaelic particularly, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t have bilingual Mando/English or Arabic/English or Turkish/English schools in Edinburgh (or anywhere else in the UK) just as easily as Gaelic/English. My Czech uni mates studied in French/Czech and English/Czech government high schools, for example.

If that option had been available we may well have taken it.

And if the Scottish Government passes a Mandarin Language (Scotland) Act anytime soon then you may get your wish.

Do you really think for even a second that if Gaelic provision wasn’t mandated by an Act of Parliament that it would be provided ??

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act – 1995.

Tollcross Gaelic classes started in 1982…….

Ooh a sneaky Wunundred there for added value! 😀

The wee bugger would appear to have a talent for languages

TBh, most young uns can pick up languages very easily, their little brains are like sponges soaking up as much info as possible. Many of the kids round here are bilingual at least. So don’t get too hung up on the ‘my child’s a genius’ thing many parents do, as it may turn out he/she actually is not. And then you’ll be well disappointed and the child irreparably damaged by having had too much pressure and expectation thrust upon it at such an early age.

Glad your choices have worked out well for your kid though. Can’t really see as how Gaelic will be all that ‘useful’, but learning other languages is surely great stimulus for the mind. Teachers I know who work round here say that the kids who are bilingual tend to adapt to other subjects more easily, in general, than the kids who only speak English.

I thought the Act was passed in 2005 ??

Anyways, Edinburgh council were planning on closing the Gaelic school as I recall due to costs, probably to buy trams. Can’t now, in fact it is expanding.

I have mixed feelings about it, yes multiple language acquisition is good and I can see the emotive argument for keeping a language alive. It is an important part if Scottish heritage and can play a significant part in developing tourism.

However I was at a BNG conference once, and it was like walking into a white power meeting. Not really sure that is the way we want to go…

TBH – Elfin – I’m surprised you didnt just go for the wunundred post.

Hels – all i know is that there is a more diverse range of pupils in the gaelic unit at tollcross than any othher school i’ve seen.

Eh? What you on about Smee? 😕

I remember when I was teaching a wee Chinese boy to swim he would speak to me in our local dialect and then turn round and talk to his mum in Chinese. Was amazing. Never had the option when I was at school. When we go on holiday it amazes me at how good some people speak our(English)language better than us. Parts of Slovenia I have been to lots of people speak their own language + English, German, Italian and French.

hels – sorry, I was thinking of John Galloway. The GL(S)A was 2005.

Parts of Slovenia I have been to lots of people speak their own language + English, German, Italian and French.

IIRC (and no promises), bits of Slovenia have Italian/Slovenian bilingual education and the adjoining part of Italy has Croatian/Italian bilingual education.

Pleased to hear that sbz ! Must be all those middle class types fleeing the local schools !

You’d be surprised. Lots of working class folk that just want their kids to get the best education.

Surrounded By Zulus – Member
You’d be surprised. Lots of working class folk that just want their kids to get the best education.

Indeed – and they used to have a state funded system for doing it!!

Glad that this has all worked out for you – easy original decision and yet hard one at the same time (if that makes sense!).

Non-religous family decided to send their kids to the local Catholic school as the non-religous one had a bad reputation. Now my neices get to tell me about Jesus and all that guff. Don’t worry, I put them straight on the QT 😉

As someone who took the mick (but not of the decision, etc.) in the beginning, I’m also glad to see it’s working out for the young chap in question.

(it’s still the inferior “Gaelic” though 😉 )