Commentary on Sections Promotion, support and guidance Section 15: Duty to promote and support Gaelic medium education and learning
56.Subsection (1) provides that, irrespective of whether GME and GLE are in fact provided in an education authority area, an education authority must promote the potential provision of school education in its area by means of GME by publicising the right to make a request under section 7(1) and promote the potential provision of school education in its area by means of GLE in such manner as it thinks appropriate.
57.Subsections (2) to (4) provide that, where an education authority secures the provision of GME or GLE in pursuance of its duty under the 1980 Act to secure the provision of school education, including mandatory early learning and childcare, it must promote and support that provision so far as reasonably practicable.
58.Subsection (5) provides that the duty of promotion under subsection (2) includes a duty to take reasonable steps to publicise the existing provision of GME and GLE in its area, in such manner as it thinks appropriate.
59.Subsection (6) provides that the duty of support under subsection (2) requires an education authority to take reasonable steps to ensure that teachers in any class providing GME or GLE have such resources, training and opportunities as are reasonably necessary to adequately and effectively provide that education, and that pupils in any such class have such resources as are reasonably necessary to adequately and effectively receive and benefit from that education. An education authority must also have regard to any guidance on Gaelic education published by Bòrd na Gàidhlig under section 9 of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 (“the 2005 Act”) when carrying out its duty of support.