A-rèir a’ Chunntas Sluaigh as ùire, tha an àireamh de luchd-cleachdaidh na Gàidhlig fo aois 20 air fàs anns na deich bhliadhna a chaidh seachad.
Tha na figearan, a dh’fhoillsich Cunntas Nàiseanta na h-Alba, cuideachd a’ sealltainn lùghdachadh anns an àireamh de luchd-cleachdaidh na Gàidhlig uile gu lèir. Dh’ainmich 1.5 millean neach gum bi iad a’ bruidhinn Albais.
English version below.
A-rèir a’ Chunntas Sluaigh as ùire, tha an àireamh de luchd-cleachdaidh na Gàidhlig fo aois 20 air fàs anns na deich bhliadhna a chaidh seachad.
Tha na figearan, a dh’fhoillsich Cunntas Nàiseanta na h-Alba, cuideachd a’ sealltainn lùghdachadh anns an àireamh de luchd-cleachdaidh na Gàidhlig uile gu lèir. Dh’ainmich 1.5 millean neach gum bi iad a’ bruidhinn Albais.
Thuirt am Ministear airson Cànain na h-Alba, Alasdair Allan:
“Ged a tha na figearan uile gu lèir air lùghdachadh beagan, tha e misneachail gu bheil àrdachadh a-measg dhaoine fo aois 20. Tha an t-àrdachadh san ath ghinealach, còmhla ris an àrdachadh de 12 anns a’ chiad a tha a’ tòiseachadh class 1 ann am foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, a’ comharrachadh gu bheil ar saothair agus taic soirbheachail.
Tha na tha sinn a’dèanamh a dh’ionnsaigh barrachd chothroman ionnsachaidh a chruthachadh airson daoine den h-uile aois, a’ ciallachadh gu bheil sinn air an ìre de lùghdachadh am measg luchd-cleachdaidh na Gàidhlig a tharraing air ais, agus mòran dhiù a-nis a a-measg an t-sluaigh as sinne.
“Tha tòrr fhathast ri dhèanamh airson stad a chur air a’ chrìonadh de àireamhan luchd-cleachdaidh na Gàidhlig. Tha na figearan an-diugh a’ sealltainn gu soilleir gu bheil an obair againn agus ar maoin a’ toirt piseach air cùisean agus gu bheil ar ro-innleachd a thaobh clann a bhogadh anns an dàrna cànan aig ìre thràth anns an sgoil, an dòigh-beatha agus conaltradh cuideachd ag obair.
Tha mi cuideachd a’ cur fàilte air an naidheachd gu bheil sinn air freagairt làidir fhaighinn a thaobh Albais. The e mìorbhaileach gu bheil 1.5 millean neach ag ràdh gum bi iad ga bruidhinn, agus barrachd ag ràdh gu bheil iad ga tuigsinn, ga leughadh no ga sgrìobhadh. Chan e a-mhàin gu bheil sinn ag aithneachadh Albais mar chànan eadar-dhealaichte, ach cuideachd mar phàirt deatamach nar dòigh beatha.
“Tha rannsachadh bho chionn ghoirid le Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, as leth Bòrd na Gàidhlig, a’ soilleireachadh taic do-chreidsinn airson foghlam agus maoin Gàidhlig – a-measg luchd-cleachdaidh na Gàidhlig agus Beurla. ’S e ar dùbhlan a-nis am fiosrachadh seo a chleachdadh ach am bi barrachd dhaoine le ùidh anns a’ Ghàidhlig ga h-ionnsachadh, làimh ri làimh leis an £25.2 millean a tha an Riaghaltas a’ cur ris’ a’ Ghàidhlig.”
Thuirt Cathraiche Bòrd na Gàidhlig Iain Caimbeul: “Tha sinn mothachail gun do sheall na figearan bho 2001 crìonadh a thaobh lùghdachadh anns an àireamh de luchd cleachdaidh na Gàidhlig. Bha seo air sgath ’s an àireamh de chloinn òga a bha ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig tro fhoghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig.
“Seach gu bheil àireamhan foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig air air fàs anns na 20 bliadhna a chaidh, bha sinn an dùil gum biodh an ìre de lùghdachadh air a dhol sios a-rithist agus gum biodh an àireamh de luchd-cleachdaidh a-measg òigirdh an àird. Tha fianais soilleir againn gu bheil toradh poileasaidhean a’ Phlana Nàiseanta a-nis ri fhaicinn.”
Growing up with Gaelic
2011 census shows a rise the number of young Gaelic speakers.
The number of Gaelic speakers under the age of 20 has grown in the last decade, the latest census figures have shown.
The figures, published by the National Records of Scotland, also showed that the drop in the overall number of Gaelic speakers has also slowed while 1.5 million people declared themselves Scots speakers
Minister for Scotland’s Languages Alasdair Allan said:
“While the census shows a slight fall overall, we can take real encouragement from the growth in Gaelic speakers under the age of 20. This increase in the next generation of Gaelic speakers, helped by a 12 per cent increase in pupils entering Primary 1 of Gaelic Medium Education clearly demonstrates that our investment in the language is paying off.
Our efforts to support Gaelic and create more learning opportunities for all ages has also significantly slowed down the decline in the overall numbers of speakers, many of whom tend to be in older age groups.
“There is still a lot of work to be done to halt and reverse the decline in numbers of Gaelic speakers, but today’s figures clearly show our targeted investment is paying off and that our strategy of introducing children to the language as early as possible to make it an integral part of their life, their schooling and the way they communicate is also working. Such a strong response for Scots in the first time it is included in the Census is also welcome news.
That around 1.5 million people saying they speak it and, even more describing themselves as understanding, reading or writing it shows that we not only recognise it as a distinct language, but one that is very much ingrained in how we interact with each other and identifies our distinctiveness.
“Recent research by Edinburgh University, on behalf of Bòrd na Gaidhlig, shows incredible support for Gaelic education and investment – among both Gaelic and English speakers. Our challenge now is to use this information to help us transform that enthusiasm, alongside £25.2 million investment into the language from the Scottish Government into more people learning Gaelic.”
Bòrd na Gaidhlig Cathraiche (Chair), Iain Campbell added:
“We know that the 2001 census figures showed a marked decrease in the decline of Gaelic speakers. This was attributable to the growth of the numbers of children acquiring the language through Gaelic-medium education.
“Given the growth in the numbers in Gaelic-medium education over the last two decades, we expected that the rate of decline would be further reduced as a result of further growth of the numbers of children and young people now speaking Gaelic. This is clear evidence that the policy aims of the National Gaelic Language Plan are taking effect.”