Gaelic Education in Scotland continues after school, and this post-school education, both in the community and in universities and colleges, is very important for the development and health of the language.
Learning Gaelic in the Community
Many people return to Gaelic again or encounter it for the first time as adults. Throughout Scotland, Gaelic classes are offered at every level which give people the opportunity to learn Gaelic from scratch or to develop their existing skills. Gaelic classes are run by different groups and information about the various opportunities can be found on learngaelic.scot.
Gaelic learning at college or university
At university or college level, you can do a degree or other qualification in the language itself, or in the language and another subject. Gaelic is very often offered under different names as “Gaelic” or as part of a “Celtic” course. There is the opportunity at some universities to do Gaelic modules as part of other degrees.
There is also the opportunity to undertake courses in Gaelic on-line and through distance learning through colleges and universities.
It is recommended that applications are made through UCAS in the first instance. Again, when searching for these courses, use “Gaelic” or “Celtic”.
Here are some of the universities and colleges that offer Gaelic courses in Scotland:
University of the Highlands and Islands
Initial Teacher Education
Great teachers are at the heart of Gaelic education, and in Scotland, any teacher must have a suitable University level qualification to achieve professional registration with the General Teaching Council Scotland. You can find more information about teaching here.
Research and Postgraduate Qualifications
There are many Gaelic-related qualifications at masters and PhD level at Scottish Universities. There is a wide range of sectors researched and studied, including history, linguistics, development, translation, music, and many others.
Research is very important for Gaelic development work and Bòrd na Gàidhlig works in partnership with the universities and with the Scottish Funding Council to support studies and projects which contribute to the Gaelic world in many ways.