ELL: Gaelic and the Commission for Racial Equality

[David Wilson]

A Chairdean (Dear Friends)

    The Gaelic language now has many friends in Scotland and across the
world. However, the following Press Release, which I read today, shows that
the hostility and bigotry which drove the language to the brink of
extinction is still alive and kicking.

    What is described below could lead to a legal test case which, amongst
other things, could prevent the Press in Scotland, which can often be
hostile to Gaelic, from printing inflamatory statements........

PRESS RELEASE

COMHAIRLE NAN SGOILTEAN ARAICH
THE GAELIC PRE-SCHOOL COUNCIL

11 July, 200. FOR IMMEDIATE USE

Fionnlagh Macleoid, Chief Executive of Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich
(CNSA), the Gaelic Pre-school Council, has written to the Commission for
Racial Equality, Scotland, (CRE) in respect of abuse directed at Gaelic and
Gaelic-speakers.
Mr. Macleoid's letter was precipitated by receipt of a highly abusive
communication, written in response to CNSA publicity with respect to Gaelic
pre-school education. The writer of the communication alleged that Scottish
Executive expenditure on Gaelic was a "waste" and a "national disgrace", and
that Gaelic was a "pointless and useless language". Of particular concern to
CNSA was the writer's allegation that children in Gaelic-medium education
(GME) were being "brainwashed" by CNSA and by "unthinking parents". Citing a
comment in a "national Scottish newspaper", the writer of the communication
alleged that GME was "'a form of child abuse'" and hoped that children in
GME would one day sue both the CNSA and their parents.
Mr. Macleoid said that such views are totally misguided. Recent research by
Prof. Richard Johnstone of Stirling University has indicated that, far from
damaging children, GME was the equal of, and in many ways superior to
primary education through the medium of English. However, Mr. Macleoid said
that the views expressed in the communication could no longer simply be
dismissed as those of an isolated troubled individual. First, CNSA has
received many similar abusive letters on other occasions. Second, it is now
clear that the expression of similar abuse in the mainstream Scottish media
by journalists such as Allan Brown of the Sunday Times, and others, help to
justify and even encourage this sort of misguided abuse by members of the
public.
Mr. Macleoid has therefore written to the CRE asking them for their views on
this sort of abuse and has requested a meeting with the CRE to discuss how
the CRE can assist in responding to such views. Mr. Macleoid writes that
"these sorts of attitudes are extremely hurtful to Gaelic speakers and by
denigrating and marginalising Gaelic and Gaelic-speakers, continue to pose a
very serious barrier to the protection and preservation of the Gaelic
language and culture in Scotland." He added that "discrimination based on
language is recognised in human rights legislation and international human
rights conventions as being just one of many forms of discrimination", that
this sort of abuse should be viewed as a form of racial abuse of the sort
with which the CRE concerns itself, and that it was therefore "most
appropriate for the CRE to concern itself with this particular form of
discrimination and racial hatred".

Background Information
1. CNSA is a registered charity which has worked for the better part of
twenty years to assist in the development of pre-school education through
the medium of Gaelic.
2. Through efforts of bodies such as CNSA, Gaelic-medium education (GME) has
now become a valued part of the Scottish educational system, with almost
2,000 children in attendance at Gaelic-medium primary school units and a
Gaelic-medium school in Glasgow.
In addition to being an essential part of any effort to maintain the Gaelic
language in Scotland-an objective to which our governments are wholly
committed, as illustrated most recently by the UK's ratification of the
Council of Europe's European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,
which comes into force in the UK on 2 July, 2001, and under which the
government has committed to providing significant assistance to Gaelic-GME
has been a splendid educational success. Indeed, recent research by Prof.
Dick Johnstone of Stirling University and Scottish CILT has highlighted that
the educational achievements of children in GME are as high and in many
cases higher than children in English-medium education, but that children in
GME have the added benefit of developing fluency in two languages, which is
itself an excellent basis for the acquisition of further languages.

For further information please contact:
Fionnlagh M. Macleoid: Chief Executive CNSA
or; Dr. Alasdair B. Mearns: Chairperson CNSA
at; 53 Church Street, INVERNESS IV1 1DR, Scotland.
Tel...01463-225469


Sonas is adh ort (success /prosperity to you)
David Wilson.

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