Gàidhlig: the Gaelic language in education in Scotland

Gaelic and its status in education in Scotland
Gaelic is an official language of Scotland, commanding equal respect to the English language. In July 2025, the Scottish Languages Bill was given Royal Assent. This bill will provide further support to the language and promote Gaelic within the education system. Gaelic can be used as a medium of instruction (Gaelic Medium Education or GME), or as a subject (Gaelic for learners). In 2022/23, Gaelic learning opportunities were available in schools in 59% of the Local Authorities in Scotland, with 0.8% of all primary school pupils enrolled in GME and 0.5% of secondary school pupils receiving some input through the medium of Gaelic. Initial teacher education for teachers wishing to work in GME is provided at several universities. Gaelic has a limited presence within the university and further education system, with only one institution delivering programmes fully through the medium of Gaelic.

Gaelic in educational research
Research on the sociolinguistic position of Gaelic began in the 1970s and has included studies on the role that GME plays in supporting Gaelic language acquisition and language use, both within and outside of the education system. The focus of current research has been on supporting Gaelic (medium) teachers and encouraging children and young people to make (greater) use of the language outside of the education system.

Prospects for Gaelic in Scotland
The last census results (conducted in 2022) showed an increase in the number of individuals able to speak Gaelic compared to the 2011 data, from 57,375 to 69,701. However, various studies have suggested that English is now the dominant language of all communities, even where a significant proportion of the population can speak Gaelic. Gaelic Medium Education has supported language acquisition, but this has not resulted in an increase of Gaelic language use
outside of the education domain. The growth of GME is hampered by a lack of teachers able to teach at all stages of the curriculum.