The Gaelic language in education in Scotland - 3rd Edition - Regional Dossier series

Oct 15, 2026

The document presents a Regional Dossier series edition focused on how Gaelic language is addressed within education in Scotland. It explains the Mercator Centre’s definition of regional and minority languages, emphasizes education as a driver of linguistic vitality, and outlines the series aim to give concise, comparable descriptions of education systems, policies, actors, legal arrangements, and support structures. It also describes the target audience and the Eurydice-linked format that connects regional educational descriptions to national education structures.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages72

Reading Time3 h 1 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Background

Aim

Target group

Link with Eurydice

Contents

Regiona l Dossier series gàidhlig The Gaelic language in education in Scotland 3 rd Edition European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning Regional Dossier series The Gaelic language in education in Scotland 3rd Edition Ingeborg Birnie Strathclyde Institute of Education, University of Strathclyde Edited by Charlie Robinson-Jones Martine Jansen Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning Published by European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning With financial support from c/o Fryske Akademy, Doelestrjitte 8, PO Box 54, NL-8900 AB Ljouwert/Leeuwarden, The Netherlands The Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning ([www.mercator-research.eu](www.mercator-research.eu)) is part of the Fryske Akademy ([www.fryske-akademy.nl](www.fryske-akademy.nl)). Information on the Regional Dossier series: [www.mercator-research.eu/en/regional-dossiers/](www.mercator-research.eu/en/regional-dossiers/) Information on this Regional Dossier: [www.mercator-research.eu/regional-dossiers/gaelic-scotland/](www.mercator-research.eu/regional-dossiers/gaelic-scotland/) © Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning 2025 An online version of this work is published [at](at www.mercator-research.eu/regional-dossiers/)[ www.mercator-research.eu/regional-dossiers/](at www.mercator-research.eu/regional-dossiers/)[ ](at www.mercator-research.eu/regional-dossiers/)[gaelic-scotland/](gaelic-scotland/ under a Creative Commons Open Access license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)[ under a Creative Commons Open Access license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0](gaelic-scotland/ under a Creative Commons Open Access license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), which permits re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial purposes providing appropriate credit to the original work is given, any changes made are indicated, and the new work is published under the same license terms. To view a copy of this license, visit [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) All versions of this work may contain content reproduced under license from third parties. Permission to reproduce this third-party content must be obtained from these third parties directly. This publication should be cited as: Birnie, I., Robinson-Jones, C. (Ed.), & Jansen, M. (Ed.) . (2025) . The Gaelic language in education in Scotland (3rd ed.) . (Regional Dossier series) . Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language [Learning.](Learning. www.mercator-research.eu/regional-dossiers/)[ www.mercator-research.eu/regional-dossiers/](Learning. www.mercator-research.eu/regional-dossiers/) gaelic-scotland/ First edition 2001 | Second edition 2017 ISSN (online) 3050-5232 The Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Foreword background Regional and minority languages are languages that differ from the official state language. The Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning uses the following definition for these languages, as stated in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML): Regional and minority languages are languages traditionally used within a given territory of a state by nationals of that state who form a group numerically smaller than the rest of the state’s population; they are different from the official language(s) of that state, and they include neither dialects of the official language(s) of the state nor the languages of migrants. Education is a key

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Regional Dossier series described in the document?

The series aims to provide concise descriptions of regional or minority languages in education, mainly in Europe, addressing system features, policies, actors, legal arrangements, support structures, and quantitative aspects like schools, teachers, pupils, and financial investments.

How does the document define regional and minority languages?

It uses the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) definition: languages traditionally used within a state’s territory by citizens forming a smaller group than the rest of the population, different from official languages, and not including official-language dialects or migrant languages.

Who is the target group for these dossiers?

The dossiers are relevant for policymakers, researchers, teachers, teacher educators, students, and journalists interested in developments in regional or minority language education. They also serve as a starting point for further research and offer ideas for improving educational provisions.

Oct 15, 2026

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