Commentary on Provisions Part 1: Gaelic Chapter 2: Education Section 22: Gaelic education delivery planning
75.Section 22 modifies section 3 of the 2005 Act, which sets out the requirements for Gaelic language plans. Where the authority preparing the plan is an education authority, the plan must set out the authority’s plan for the provision of Gaelic education, and the authority must consult the interested persons listed in inserted subsection (6A) on those elements of the plan. The existing power for the Scottish Ministers to make regulations about the content of Gaelic language plans is expanded to allow for further provision about the matters which an education authority must include in its Gaelic language plan under inserted subsection (4A).
76.Definitions of “Gaelic learner education” and “Gaelic medium education” are added for the purposes of this section. Gaelic medium education will include Gaelic medium early learning and childcare, because “education” includes education provided to pre-school children. The definition in section 46 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 Act defines early learning and childcare as including such education and section 1(5)(a)(i) of the 1980 Act includes early learning and childcare in the definition of school education. Therefore, the education aspects of the Gaelic language plan will need to include plans for the provision of Gaelic medium early learning and childcare. Section 7 on review of plans is amended to make sure that the new subsection (6A) is correctly referenced.