Agendas, reports and minutes

Gaelic Implementation Group

Date: Thursday, 18 February 2016

Agenda: Read the Agenda

A meeting of the Gaelic Implementation Group will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 18 February 2016 at 10.30 am.  

Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully

Michelle Morris
Depute Chief Executive/Director of Corporate Development

Please note that this meeting will be conducted in Gaelic with simultaneous translation to English.

Business

1. Apologies for Absence

2. Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting.  Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest.  Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3. Good News 

4. Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16, Theme 3 “What we will do for Gaelic in Education" - Implementation Report

There is circulated Report No GIG/1/16 dated 9 February 2016 by the Director of Care and Learning providing an update on the implementation of Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16 Theme 2 “What we will do for Gaelic in Education” and  information on a wide range of national and local level initiatives.  

The Group is invited to:-

i. comment on progress in implementing the Education Theme in the Gaelic Language Plan;
ii. agree the action being taken to seek to resolve the difficulties around Gaelic Medium provision in the Bettyhill/Tongue area;
iii. agree to continue to press for Local Authority participation in the Gaelic Probationer Allocation Process; and
iv. agree to the updating and publication of all the Gaelic Education statistical data and the Online Gaelic Education Map.

5. Partnership Working between the Council and the Care and Learning Alliance In Gaelic Early Learning and Childcare Sector

Mrs Valerie Gale, Chief Executive of the Care and Learning Alliance (CALA) will undertake a presentation on the ongoing and highly successful partnership between the Council and CALA in Gaelic early years groups.

The Group is invited to comment on the presentation.

6. Formal Extension Date of the Highland Council Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16  

There is circulated Report No GIG/2/16 dated 5 February 2016 by the Director of Care and Learning providing confirmation of Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s formal approval of a one year extension to the Highland Council’s Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16 to 18 September 2017.

The Group is invited to note the response from Bòrd na Gàidhlig formally approving a year’s extension to the Council GLP 2012-16.

7. Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16 – Draft Annual Implementation Report 2015-16 

There is circulated Report No GIG/3/16 dated 5 February 2016 by the Director of Care and Learning providing a draft, for approval, of the 2015-16 Annual Implementation Report in relation to the Council’s Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16.  

The Group is invited to:-

i. comment on the Draft Annual Implementation Report covering the period 1 January 2015 to 31 January 2016; and
ii. agree the Annual Implementation Report.

8. Gaelic in the Workplace – Service Centre 

There is circulated Report No GIG/4/16 dated 5 February 2016 by the Head of Policy and Reform informing Members of the work to date and the forward planning for the inclusion of Gaelic within the activities and remit of the Service Centre, as the Centre received 300,000 calls annually.        

The Group is invited to note this new development as an implementation target within the Gaelic Language Plan.