Annual General Meeting

We’d like to highlight the date of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM):

Thursday 8 December 2022, evening (exact time TBC) 

The AGM will include:

– Welcome
– Annual Report (Convenor’s Report, Treasurer’s Report and Comann nam Pàrant Nàiseanta Report)
– Election of the new committee
– AOB
– Date of the next meeting

We’ll circulate further details closer to the time but for now save the date: evening, Thursday 8 December. 

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Gabh pàirt: Scottish Government Scottish Languages Bill consultation

Take part in the Scottish Government consultation on the Scottish Languages Bill. The deadline is 17 November 2022.

This is a huge opportunity to influence the future of Gaelic and an opportunity that will not come round again for some time. We strongly encourage you to respond to the survey. 

·       You can find an outline of the key points from Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) on our website. If you wish, you can copy and paste this, or use it as a guide for your response. 

·       You can find full information and respond via the Scottish Government’s website

·       You don’t need to respond to every question in the online survey – you can respond with just one answer

·       If you wish you can email a response to GaelicAndScotsConsultation@gov.scot attaching the respondent information form

Please note:

·       This will likely stand as the main base of legislation for all Gaelic-related policy for the next 20 years – so keep in mind where you would like Gaelic to be

·       Consensus on the bigger issues gives weight to legislation so including the points from Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) is really helpful

·       We need a lot of responses in order to bolster the points being made

Please take a couple of minutes out of your day to take part. Your voice is important. 

If you have any questions, contact Innes MacQueen at Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) innes@cnag.org

Le dùrachdan

Comann nam Pàrant

(Dùn Èideann is Lodainn) 

Latest activity

On 6 October we met with Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, to discuss how Scottish Government can support GME development, specifically the new high school. You can view the follow up letter (which details the discussion points of the meeting) here.

We have followed this up with a letter to Joan Griffiths, Convenor of the Education Children and Families Committee at City of Edinburgh Council. The letter was also circulated to Amanda Hatton, Head of Education at the Council, as well as all members of the ECF committee. You can view the letter here.

Deputation

Ahead of the meeting of the Education, Children and Families Committee meeting tomorrow (Tuesday 20 September), we have prepared and submitted a short written deputation regarding the agenda item update on GME. You can view the deputation here

The points raised in the deputation respond to the Council’s report and reflect the consensus position recorded in our previous reports and surveys with families.

In summary we: 

  • Welcome the commitment to future engagement with families.
  • Request a Short-life Working Group with the Council to progress engagement.
  • Note the updated information provided on potential sites.
  • Reassert the fundamental need for a protected, immersive Gaelic language setting.
  • Reassert the importance of location to serve a city-wide catchment.
  • Request certainty of educational pathway, and assert opposition to any suggestion of capping numbers for children in GME. 


 

Latest activity

On 1 March Comann nam Pàrant made a verbal deputation to the Education, Children and Families Committee meeting. You can view the webcast here

The meeting highlighted the urgent need for further discussion between the City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Government. In response, we have written to Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. You can read the letter here.

We have also written to the Council, highlighting key aspects from Monday’s meeting and offering our assistance. You can read this here

Update

Yesterday (24 January 2022) the Education, Children and Families Committee meeting was asked to vote on whether to proceed to statutory consultation on 31 January 2022. After taking time to reflect on this, the Council instead put forward a motion to give parents and the Council further opportunity to discuss educational benefits and any potentially suitable sites, prior to the next Committee meeting scheduled to take place 1 March 2022.  The motion was passed.

Comann nam Pàrant very much welcomes this. We look forward to hearing from the Council on their plans for the in-depth meaningful engagement with GME parents which is crucial to moving forwards in the development of GME. 

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all parents who have taken the time this past week to write to their councillors and to support Comann nam Pàrant. We are aware of the complex decisions facing Councillors, and we appreciate the support of all of the political groups who have listened to us and agreed a way forward. We will continue to work in partnership with all parties to achieve the best possible outcome.

The webcast of the meeting is available here.

You can also read our written deputation and the accompanying Appendix document .

Papers on GME high school published

On 18 January, the Council published their papers for the Additional Meeting of the Education, Children and Families Committee. The meeting is scheduled for the morning of 24 January 2022. At the meeting, the Committee will be voting on whether to proceed to statutory consultation on 31 JanuaryYou can view the papers here
 
You can contact your councillor directly if you have concerns:
– You can find a guide to writing to your councillor here.
– And a list of all contacts for each council ward here
 
Comann nam Pàrant will also share a template letter for parents to use should they wish and we aim for this to be available as soon as possible. 

Cinn-là cudromach | Key dates

Forthcoming dates for January regarding the statutory consultation on the GME high school:

Wednesday 19 January: papers (proposals) from the Council for the Education, Children and Families Committee Meeting are expected to be published

Thursday 20 January – Sunday 23 January: potential survey from Comann nam Pàrant to gauge your support for the proposals 

Thursday 20 January – Sunday 23 January: parents urged to contact Councillors with their concerns (we’ll provide further details and advice on this soon)

Friday 21 January: deadline for Comann nam Pàrant to submit written deputation to the Council 

Monday 24 January: Education, Children and Families Committee to consider plans from the Council and to vote whether to proceed to statutory consultation

31 January – 18 March: if approved by the Committee, the statutory consultation takes place 

You will see from the above that the timescales are very tight. We really appreciate your continued involvement and ask that you encourage others to take part too.

Update to families

Today the City of Edinburgh Council shared with us their most recent letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and the Council’s reply. Comann nam Pàrant has written to the Council expressing our concern, specifically:

  • The Council’s failure to agree to a feasibility study which has been requested by the Scottish Government 
  • The decision to potentially withdraw Royal Victoria site from the statutory consultation 
  • The proposal to start the statutory consultation without first concluding discussions with the Scottish Government

You can read our letter in full here. We will update you as soon as we have further information.

In the meantime, we wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Nollaig Chridheil

Comann nam Pàrant

(Dùn Èideann is Lodainn)