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.
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)
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.
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:
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.
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 .
We have published an initial statement regarding the proposals shared yesterday by City of Edinburgh Council. You can read this here.
A full statement will follow later.
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 January. You 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.
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.
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:
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)
Comann nam Pàrant 