COUNCILLORS have agreed a plan to provide Gaelic language education in Inverclyde for local secondary school pupils.

At a special meeting of the council’s education and communities committee, it was decided that Gaelic would be offered within Inverclyde Academy from the academic year beginning August 2024, subject to a statutory consultation process and final approval.

The council has an existing Gaelic provision at Whinhill Primary School and nursery class but no secondary offering.

High school pupils currently have to travel to Glasgow for Gaelic education.

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Councillor Jim Clocherty, Inverclyde Council’s convener of education and communities, said: “This is a welcome step towards providing a dedicated Gaelic secondary education here in Inverclyde.

“Currently, parents have to put in a placing request for their children to continue their Gaelic education in Glasgow but we want to build on the success of the Gaelic provision at Whinhill and create a sustainable pathway for Gaelic education here in Inverclyde from early years right through to high school.”

There is no statutory requirement for the council to provide secondary Gaelic education but it is expected that the school in Glasgow will not be able to accommodate placing requests in future, so proposals were developed to create a solution locally.

Plans were drawn up in collaboration with the local Gaelic advisory group, which was established by the council in May 2022 and is made up of representatives from parent group Comann nam Pàrant, Gaelic language body Bòrd na Gàidhlig, council officers and staff from Whinhill Primary School.

The local authority also commissioned an external study to evaluate the various proposals.

Establishing Gaelic secondary provision within Inverclyde Academy was the preferred option based on cost, accessibility and its existing links to Whinhill Primary School as a ‘cluster’ school in the same catchment area.

Currently there are 12 children attending school in Glasgow for secondary Gaelic education and there are 35 pupils in Gaelic education at Whinhill Primary School.

A formal proposal will now be drawn up and brought before the education committee at a later date before going out to public consultation.