Gaelic Medium Education in Falkirk

Gaelic Medium Primary Education is when children are taught in Gaelic as part of their primary education. Falkirk is exploring if there is sufficient demand from parents/carers who have children due to start Primary School in August 2025. Gaelic Medium Education is protected as part of the Education (Scotland) Act 2016, which supports the provision of Gaelic Medium Primary Education. If there is demand in Falkirk, our provision is likely to be a unit within an existing primary school and not a standalone school and will start with Primary 1 pupils only and build each year. This would mean children would be taught by a Gaelic Medium primary teacher with Primary 1-3 being fully immersive and the only language used during teaching would be Gaelic. English would be introduced from Primary 4 onwards. The Council would decide which school will facilitate the unit once we have the numbers of children who would attend, this would mean that not all children would be taught within their local community.

Part of Falkirk Council's Gaelic Plan is to support the development of Gaelic language and culture to ensure the increase and awareness of Gaelic across Scotland. The Council are gathering the views of parents/carers with children due to start primary school in August 2025 regarding creating a Gaelic primary provision within a primary school in Falkirk.

Further information is available on the Bórd na Gàidhlig website regard the statutory guidance on Gaelic Education and further advice for parents/carers through Comann nam Pàrant:

Statutory Guidance on Gaelic Education – Bòrd na Gàidhlig (gaidhlig.scot)

Gaelic Medium Education | Comann nam Pàrant (parant.org.uk)