SP Paper 778

ANNEX A - EXTRACTS FROM MINUTES

EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORT COMMITTEE

EXTRACT FROM MINUTES

2nd Meeting, 2001 (Session 1)

Wednesday 17 January 2001

Present:

Also present were Doctor Julie Allan and Professor Rob Ball (Advisers).

The meeting opened at 10.03 am

Remits for Committee Reporters: The Committee agreed remits for members' reports.

Cathy Peattie is to report on Scottish traditional arts and culture. The inquiry is to cover the support and funding to promote traditional arts and culture in Scotland, their inclusion within the mainstream educational curriculum and the establishment of Traditional Art Centres throughout Scotland.

Mr Frank McAveety is to report on the Scottish music industry. The inquiry is to cover the Scottish music industry particularly in relation to popular and contemporary music and the involvement of young people.

Mr Brian Monteith is to report on museums and industrial museums. The inquiry is cover the funding provision for museums and industrial museums, particularly in the context of the National Cultural Strategy.

Irene McGugan is to report on the role of cultural and educational policy and provision in supporting and developing Scots, Gaelic and minority languages.

Karen Gillon is to report on sport strategy. The report is to cover sport strategy in the light of the Committee's earlier report on sport in schools.

Ian Jenkins is to report on issues concerned with early years education.

The meeting closed at 12.25 pm

EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORT COMMITTEE

EXTRACT FROM MINUTES

23rd Meeting, 2001 (Session 1)

Tuesday 18 September 2001

Apologies were received from Mr Brian Monteith.

The meeting opened at 1:33 pm

Committee Reporters' Inquiries: The Committee reviewed the progress of inquiries being conducted by Committee reporters.

The meeting closed 4:16 pm.

EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORT COMMITTEE

EXTRACT FROM MINUTES

28th Meeting, 2002 (Session 1)

Tuesday 5 November 2002

Apologies: Mr Brian Monteith, Cathy Peattie

The meeting opened at 2.03pm in Committee Room 3.

Scotland's languages: The Committee considered a report from Irene McGugan. Various changes were agreed to and it was further agreed to refer the report to the Equal Opportunities Committee for its views on translation and to consider the report again at a subsequent meeting.

The meeting closed at 3.44pm.

EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORT COMMITTEE

EXTRACT FROM MINUTES

30th Meeting, 2002 (Session 1)

Tuesday 26 November 2002

The meeting opened at 2.03 pm.

Scotland's languages: The Committee agreed amendments to a paper from Irene McGugan and agreed that it should be published as a Committee report. It agreed to submit a bid to the SPCB for translation of the report into appropriate languages and further agreed that Irene McGugan and the clerks would prepare a summary of the report.

The meeting closed at 3.28 pm.

ANNEX B - WRITTEN EVIDENCE

SUBMISSION FROM ACAIR LTD

Thank you for your letter. I wish to submit evidence as follows:

In order to support any minority language (I am concentrating on Gaelic in particular) there must be equal opportunity for all to enjoy the written word in their own tongue. This opportunity is crucial for children in particular and especially those who partake of Gaelic medium education, where there are not nearly enough books available for the young child.

Acair is the prime Gaelic children¹s publisher in Scotland yet this aspect of Gaelic activity receives no ongoing revenue funding whatsoever. Consequently Gaelic publishing is a hand to mouth operation, with no funds available for marketing, promotion or capital costs. Only up to six general titles per year for Gaelic children can be afforded.

Innovations in Gaelic education will not be effective until Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig is given substantially more funding to commission many more educational publications, and until Gaelic children¹s educational and general publishing is given an ongoing and realisic budget at national level to substantially increase children¹s publications in Gaelic both for original works and for co-editions.

The structure and location of the Gaelic Books Council should be seriously looked at as it is neither funded nor structured effectively nor located at the Gaelic nerve centre.

I am aware, as you will be yourself, of the ongoing consideration being given to this very topic by Professor Meek¹s group within the Scottish Executive.

We require in Scotland a strong National Gaelic Publishing industry, structured along the same lines as the National Gaelic Arts Agency, Comataidh Craolaidh Gàidhlig, An Comunn Gàidhealach, Comunn na Gàidhlig, all of which receive ongoing revenue support from the Scottish Executive and which are situated in the Gaelic heartlands.

Until that happens, the Executive Gaelic education initiatives will not bear full fruit.

I hope these comments are of assistance.

Norma Macleod

Editor

Acair Ltd

SUBMISSION FROM MARY BRENNAN

Presentation to the Cross-Party Group on Deafness

of the Scottish Parliament

Unequal educational provision lies at the heart of the inequality experienced by many adult Deaf people.

Do Deaf children and young people have equality of access to education?

Are Deaf children and young people fully included within education?

Does current school education prepare young Deaf people for a fully inclusive role in society?

Present indications are that the answer is `No' to all of the above questions, at least in some parts of Scotland.

In 1979 a major research project in the UK (Conrad, 1979) showed that Deaf school leavers had a mean reading age of 9.0. The authors of a recent DfEE report which examined research over the last twenty years comment:

"...we have no evidence to demonstrate an overall significant improvement in the education of Deaf children since Conrad's study."

(Powers et al, 1999, p.8)

Currently, we do not have adequate research evidence in relation to the attainments of Deaf pupils in Scotland. However, the Achievements of Deaf People in Scotland project, supported by the SEED, should help to provide us with real information (see accompanying leaflet).

The nature of the problem:

The conceptualisation of Deaf Education: eg the medical model of deafness- rather than a social, linguistic and cultural model - tends to pervade much of discourse and practice. Deaf children are seen as having an impairment - a problem: difficulty in educational progress is perceived as being within the child rather than within the system.

Deaf children have a range of intellectual abilities, commensurate with that of the hearing population.

There is overwhelming evidence that if Deaf children are exposed early enough to a language that they can access, then they can acquire language at the same age and rate as other children.

Yet much of current Deaf education and advice to mainstream teachers is built on an expectation of linguistic delay (see Brennan, 1999, for examples).

We need to take an inclusive approach to language within Deaf Education: this will mean including the language of the Deaf Community, British Sign Language (BSL) as well as the spoken/written languages within the child's community. This means having a positive attitude to both - or all - of the relevant languages.

Deaf pupils have a right to access education in their preferred language - and the right to have the basis for making such a choice (ie waiting until a child is seven years old years old or ten or sixteen before offering access to BSL means denying choice).

What do we need to do to make choice and inclusion real?

We need to:

enable Deaf children to access all of the curriculum - not just selected elements;

ensure that all involved with Deaf Education have high expectations of Deaf pupils and positive attitudes towards them;

recognise the particular strengths that Deaf children may bring to the learning situation - and build upon these (eg the research on spatial-visual abilities);

include within the curriculum BSL and Deaf Studies as subjects in their own right;

ensure that Deaf children can access all assessment processes in their preferred language: this will mean allowing questions and responses in BSL across subject areas and ensuring that those accessing through English are able to use subtitles videos and other visual means of access as preferred;

face up to and change the variability in provision across Scotland: such variability includes

- differences in the numbers of qualified teachers of the Deaf working with Deaf children;

- differences in the involvement of Deaf people within education as teachers or in other professional/support roles;

- differences in the availability and involvement of other professionals eg speech and language therapists, audiologists, BSL/English interpreters: there are also particular problems relating to crossing boundaries, eg Health/Education;

- differences in the nature and extent of family support at pre-schools level and beyond;

- differences in the involvement of parents in decision-making relating to education;

- differences in involving pupils themselves in decision-making (Note that they have an `entitlement' to such a role - see also the recent report on Education for Citizenship)

take urgent measures to involve more Deaf people in the provision of education at all levels - not just as poorly paid support staff in some services. This will require educational and training initiatives - including access programmes - for Deaf people at FE and HE;

ensure that all professionals, both Deaf and hearing, are supported in obtaining appropriate training. An absolute requirement must be that all of those working directly with Deaf children should be fully competent in BSL. Such professionals should be able to work with all Deaf children - not just some;

ensure that all children have full access to the technology that can be of most use to them. This will include for many, audiological support, such as access to the new generation of digital and programmable hearing aids; good acoustic environments eg exploiting sound-field technology. It will also mean exploiting ICT, eg to support English-based literacy and sign-based literacy;

ensure that parents and families of Deaf children are given support both by the relevant local authority services and by the Deaf Community;

develop a more adequate research base in relation to Deaf Studies, BSL, literacy and Deaf people, visuality and deafness etc. This means developing Deaf Studies and Sign Linguistics as key areas within FE and HE and actively supporting research.

The Positives

We have a unique opportunity, through the Scottish Parliament, to establish or utilise (or appropriately interpret present) legislation which can actively support the rights of Deaf children.

Deaf organisations, particularly through the Scottish Council on Deafness, are increasingly working together. There is much more understanding of the nature of sign languages and the nature of Deaf community and culture than ever before.

Deaf people are demonstrating the major contributions they can make to cultural life: enabling full access to education will enable Deaf young people to become active and responsible citizens.

References

Brennan, M. (1999) 'Challenging Linguistic Exclusion in Deaf Education' Deaf Worlds, 15 (1) pp2-10

Conrad., R (1979) The Deaf School Child. London, England: Harper and Row

Powers, S., Gregory, S. and Thoutenhoofd, E.D. (1999) 'The Educational Achievements of Deaf Children: A Literature Review: Executive Summary' Deafness and Education International, 1 (1) pp1-9

Powers, S., Gregory, S. and Thoutenhoofd, E.D. (1998) The Educational Achievements of Deaf Children: A Literature Review, Research Report No.65. London: DfEE

This submission stresses the importance of including British Sign Language (BSL) within the committee of enquiry deliberations. BSL is the preferred language of members of the Deaf Community in Scotland, although Deaf people may also make use of English, Gaelic and other minority languages. In order to have full access to education, social services, employment, the justice system and all other aspects of Scottish life, it is essential that services are made available through BSL.

It will be useful for the committee to take account of a number of developments which are currently underway within Scotland.

The Cross-party Group on Deafness: Current Issues within Deaf Education in Scotland

The Cross-Party Group on Deafness within the Scottish Parliament is examining a range of issues relating to Deaf people. This group was formed partly in response to the debate on the formal recognition of BSL within the Scottish Parliament in February 2000. One of the first papers approved by the Committee relates to lack of adequate linguistic access for Deaf pupils within education. This paper formed the basis of a meeting with the Minister of Education, Europe and External Affairs in July 2001 and it is hoped that action will be taken in relation to a number of the issues raised. This paper is attached separately.

The Achievements of Deaf Pupils in Scotland Project

This was established in 2000 with funding from the Scottish Executive. This project aims to provide constructive information to parents, professionals and Deaf young people themselves, as well as the Scottish Executive, about the educational achievements and attainments of Deaf pupils in Scotland. As part of an extensive survey which is presently being conducted throughout Scotland, the project team is collecting information on the use of BSL as a means of access to the curriculum for primary and secondary pupils. Opportunities for Deaf pre-school children to develop BSL are also being explored in addition to English, Gaelic and community languages. It is hoped that findings will be available in late autumn, which will be of direct relevance to the Committee. For further information on this project please contact one of the following:

Marian Grimes, Research Associate

Emily Healy, Administrator

Mary Brennan, Project Director

Multimedia Curriculum Support for Deaf Pupils

This project has also been established at the University of Edinburgh with funding from the Scottish Executive. The aim of the project is to develop bilingual multimedia resources which allow Deaf pupils to access information either in BSL or English or both. The initial response to these bilingual materials suggests that there is great need to develop many more resources of this type. In particular the interactive dimensions enable pupils accessing through BSL to become independent learners in ways that have not been possible when accessing the curriculum through English alone. Unfortunately it would appear that very few pupils currently have access to such materials. The project team has also been collaborating with professionals and Deaf people in developing a new Deaf Studies curriculum for use in schools, which places Deaf people within a linguistic and cultural context. For further information on this project please contact Mary Brennan at mary.brennan@ed.ac.uk or Margaret Ward at margaret.ward@ed.ac.uk.

Fair Assessment for Deaf Pupils

This report was commissioned by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It was written by Mary Brennan and submitted to them in August 2000. The report provides a detailed argument for allowing Deaf candidates in assessments to be able to access these assessments in their own preferred language. If the preferred language is BSL, then this will mean allowing the signing of questions and responses. The report argues that signed question "papers" should be available in multimedia format. Those accessing through English should be able to exploit visual English in the form of subtitling of videos, etc. Further information on this report can be obtained from Patricia McDonald at SQA.

Training Strategy Group

A working group including representatives from the Scottish Council on Deafness, The Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters, The Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People and The Scottish Sensory Centre has been looking at the strategies required to ensure that Deaf people have full access to all areas of Scottish life. The present shortage of BSL/English interpreters and Deaf tutors of BSL means that Deaf children and adults are being denied adequate access to a whole range of services. This report is due to be submitted to the Scottish Executive at the end of September 2001 and its contents will be of direct relevance to the Committee of Inquiry. For further information contact mary.brennan@ed.ac.uk.

Scottish Executive Working Group on BSL and Linguistic Access

This working group has been established within the Equality Unit in the Scottish Executive. It is made up of Deaf and hearing representatives from a range of Deaf organisations, as well as individuals from different sections of the Executive. The working group has accepted in principle the need to ensure more adequate access for Deaf people. At its next meeting on 11 October it will be considering the report by the Training Strategy Group referred to in the previous paragraph. For further information contact Sue.Warner@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

Dr Mary Brennan

Marian Grimes

Simon Laurie House

Faculty of Education

The University of Edinburgh

Marian Grimes

Simon Laurie House

Faculty of Education

The University of Edinburgh

SUBMISSION FROM BRITISH DEAF ASSOCIATION

The British Deaf Association exists to ensure that Deaf people using sign language have the same rights and entitlements as any other citizens.

Our vision is of a society where Deaf people have full and unrestricted access to all walks of life thus becoming equal citizens, contributing and participating freely.

British Deaf Association Sign Language Policy

I am well aware of the place of British Sign Language in the lives of Deaf people. It is not only their first language, it is at the heart of their culture, just as the English language is at the heart of ours.

Diana, Princess of Wales, 1988

Our Vision

The right to use one's own language is a fundamental human right. The British Deaf Association (BDA) believes that Deaf¹ people can best realise their potential and aspirations through a language to which they have full access and through which they can develop linguistically, personally and socially. Our vision is of a society in which the right of Deaf people to use British Sign Language is both recognised and actively promoted in order that they can participate as equal citizens.

What is British Sign Language?

BSL is used by thousands of Deaf and hearing people as they go about their lives.

There are many myths about BSL. Contrary to popular misconceptions, it is not an "artificial" language, but has evolved naturally like any spoken language. BSL is a language in its own right with its own grammar. It is not based on English, nor is it an international language. Different countries have their own national sign languages. BSL is a visual language. Meaning in BSL is communicated in a variety of ways: specific signs using different hand shapes and movements, facial expressions, lip patterns, and upper-body and head movements.

Sign languages have been in use around the world for centuries. The first printed account of sign language usage in the UK was recorded in John Bulwer's Chirologia: or the National Language of the Hand in 1644. Before that, in 1595, Richard Carew first recorded an observation of sign language in use between two Deaf people, Edward Bone and John Kempe, in his Survey of Cornwall. Earlier still, in the Parish book of St Martins, Leicester, an account can be found of a wedding conducted partly in sign language in 1576.

The British Deaf Association was founded in 1890 in response to a concerted attack on sign language. In 1880, an international congress of hearing educators of deaf children had called for sign language to be banned in schools across the world. In Britain, a Royal Commission agreed. Sign language gradually began to disappear from deaf schools across the country. Despite such attacks, the language survived and remains at the heart of the Deaf community. The term "British Sign Language" was first used in 1975 by linguist Dr Mary Brennan. Before this, although the language had been in use for centuries, there was a tendency to use terms such as "Deaf communication" or "manual communication". These terms ignored the fact that BSL was a full language, as complex as any spoken language. The first dictionary of BSL/English, edited by David Brien, was published by Faber and Faber in association with the British Deaf Association.

The BDA estimates that there are approximately 70,000 Deaf people in Britain whose first or preferred language is BSL. The language is increasingly popular with hearing learners - approximately 20,000 people take basic level exams in BSL every year. It is estimated that as many as 250,000 Deaf and hearing people use BSL regularly. There are as many Deaf BSL-users as there are speakers of Scottish Gaelic, and more people (Deaf and hearing) use BSL than either Welsh or Gaelic. BSL is indigenous to the UK.

Like all linguistic minorities, members of the Deaf community have different degrees of access to the majority language of the wider community. For many, English is only a second or even third language. Consequently, written materials, as well as spoken communication, are often inaccessible to Deaf people.

The BDA was the first organisation in Britain to truly represent the aims and aspirations of the Deaf community and remains the largest national organisation run by Deaf people for Deaf people.

Official Recognition of BSL

Often individuals and groups are treated unjustly and suppressed by means of language. People who are deprived of linguistic human rights may thereby be prevented from enjoying other human rights, including fair political representation, a fair trial, access to education, access to information and freedom of speech, and maintenance of their cultural heritage.²

British Sign Language is the heart of the UK's Deaf community - a vibrant community united by shared experiences, history and identity. BSL is a rich and sophisticated language as complex as any spoken language. Official recognition of BSL is an essential step in asserting and protecting the rights of the Deaf community.

Why Recognise BSL?

The right to use one's own language is a fundamental human right.

Since sign language is more accessible to Deaf people than spoken languages such as English, official recognition of BSL is especially important. Many Deaf people are monolingual in BSL and for many others English is only a second language.

The European Parliament has passed two resolutions calling on member states to recognise their respective national sign languages, one in 1988 and the most recent in November 1998. Despite this, only four EU countries have done so: Denmark, Finland, Portugal and Sweden. Thirteen other countries worldwide legally recognise their national sign languages, although recognition can take different forms. Finland made a constitutional commitment (in 1995) to the right to use sign language. Similarly, Portugal's constitution makes provision to "protect and value the Portuguese Sign Language as a tool for cultural expression and as a tool of access to education and equal opportunities". In Sweden, a bill was passed in 1981 granting Deaf people the right to a bilingual education. Swedish Sign Language is also offered as a language option in mainstream schools.

In 1999 members of the National Assembly for Wales raised a Statement of Opinion expressing the hope that BSL receives official recognition. Thirty-one Assembly Members subscribed to the statement. On 16 February 2000, members of the Scottish Parliament also debated official recognition of BSL. Dr Winnie Ewing MSP introduced a members' business debate, attracting cross-party support for her motion urging the Scottish Executive:

to implement the European Parliament's recognition of sign language as an official language in each of the member states.

A number of local authorities in the UK have also recognised British Sign Language, so acknowledging the rights and entitlements of their local Deaf communities.

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

The BDA calls on the government to recognise British Sign Language under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages, which the UK has now signed and ratified. The Charter states that "the right to use a regional or minority language in private and public life is an inalienable right". Recognition of BSL under the Charter would ensure fuller access for Deaf people to public services and information, education, social and economic life, the justice system, broadcasting and cultural life. It would also promote greater study of and research into the language and enhance the status of BSL as one of the UK's most widely used indigenous languages.

A BSL Task Force

The BDA also calls on the government to establish a national BSL Task Force, similar to the bodies established in the Netherlands and Finland, to review existing legislation and policy across government departments and identify areas where new measures and legislation are required to ensure equal rights for Deaf people in all areas of life.

Education and Training

Sign language is a more naturally accessible language for Deaf people than spoken language. Consequently, it is fundamental to their identity, intellectual development and educational achievement.

UNESCO's Salamanca Statement on Special Needs Education, to which Britain is a signatory, was accompanied by a Framework of Action, which states that:

the importance of sign language...should be recognised and provision made to ensure that all deaf persons have access to education in their national sign language.

Salamanca Statement (1994), para 21

However, in the UK, only a very small proportion of schools and units attended by deaf children offer any formal teaching of BSL. As a result, generations of deaf children have under-achieved due to language deprivation - struggling to understand spoken language, and denied the opportunity to acquire BSL.

All deaf children should be given the right to a bilingual/bicultural education.

Schools and resource bases attended by deaf children

Several teaching approaches are currently used in the pre-16 school education of deaf children. These include aural/oral teaching (little, if any, BSL used), total communication (usually a mixture of Sign Supported English, BSL, lipreading, reading and writing), and bilingualism (equal emphasis on BSL and English with both regarded as languages of instruction).

The early acquisition of language is vital to the learning process. For many deaf children, BSL will be more naturally accessible than spoken languages.

The BDA believes that the majority of deaf children will best realise their potential through a bilingual/bicultural approach to learning. Under such a system, the deaf child learns BSL alongside English, enabling him or her to build confidence and acquire at an early age the basic linguistic skills that are the foundation for all subsequent learning.³

Internationally, among hearing people, bilingualism is the norm rather than the exception. It is estimated that two-thirds of the world's population are bilingual.

All deaf children should have the right to a high quality education through BSL and to be involved in decisions about their education. Attention needs to be paid to the different and changing language and communication needs of deaf children at all stages of their educational career, including pre-school education.

It is a cause of grave concern that there is currently no requirement that all teachers of deaf children have a qualification in BSL. Nor is there a school curriculum for BSL or Deaf studies. Most teachers of deaf children are hearing and have little knowledge or experience of the Deaf community. Many schools employ Communication Support Workers (CSWs) who are only qualified to CACDP Stage Two BSL - a very basic qualification. This is not acceptable.

Schools and resource bases attended by deaf children must:

· Accept that all deaf children have the right to a bilingual/bicultural education.

· Provide staff with Deaf Awareness Training.

· Employ Deaf staff

· Include BSL on the school curriculum.

· Employ teachers, interpreters and support workers with a high level of BSL skills.

Families of deaf children

Parents of deaf children must be provided with accurate information about BSL, access to BSL courses for themselves, and Deaf equality/awareness training - including details of Deaf clubs and organisations. This will enable them to support their child's cognitive and educational development and provide him or her with full access to both family life and Deaf culture.

More detailed recommendations on the education of deaf children can be found in the BDA's Education Policy.

Further and higher education

The introduction of Disabled Students Allowances has enabled many more Deaf students to enter higher education at undergraduate level. However, colleges and universities are rarely fully accessible to Deaf students. There is inadequate communication support and a serious shortage of the interpreting services necessary for the diverse and complex language requirements of further and higher education (poor pay and conditions are partly responsible for this shortage). There is also insufficient provision for Deaf candidates to take examinations in BSL. Deaf students experience exclusion from other aspects of campus life, including social life and extra-curricular activities.

The BDA demands that:

· Staff in the further and higher education sectors are provided with Deaf equality/awareness training.

· Deaf candidates are given the right to take exams in BSL where appropriate.

· Wider use of video communications is encouraged, especially in distance learning.

Professional training and development

Deaf employees often face obstacles to vocational and professional training. This can impair their ability to do their jobs and compromise their chances of promotion. Employers must be encouraged to provide interpreters to allow Deaf staff access to inductions, appraisal interviews and training courses.

Interpreting

A sign/spoken language interpreter provides an important link between Deaf and hearing people. However, there is currently a serious shortage. As of 4 July 2000 there were only 98 qualified interpreters and 197 trainee interpreters registered by the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People - not all of whom are actively working. The growth of demand for interpreters has not been matched by increased supply. This is a major obstacle to Deaf people's social inclusion.

Increasing Provision

The BDA supports the findings and recommendations of the Human Aids to Communication report Communication is Your Responsibility (1992), which states that only registered qualified or registered trainee interpreters with appropriate skills should be used in all interpreting situations.

However, the shortage of interpreters is an obstacle to this, and likely to get worse in the near future. A House of Lords judgment in 1997 extended Disability Living Allowance to cover the social communication needs of Deaf claimants. Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requires businesses and service-providers to make their services accessible to Deaf people. These developments have increased demand for BSL Interpreters.

The necessary increase in interpreters will only be achieved through a major expansion of government-funded interpreter training.

Training and registration

The BDA calls for a single registration body with overall responsibility for maintaining the register of accredited interpreters in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and a single registration body in Scotland. These bodies should take into account the views of service-users, interpreters, and interpreter training providers, but should be independent of any one of these groups. The registration bodies should draw up and enforce a code of ethics for interpreters.

The BDA believes that there should be a variety of routes to registration, vocational and university-based. However, registration must be based on the attainment of agreed national standards of training, experience and linguistic ability in English and BSL.

Systems for monitoring standards of interpreting should be developed and a proper career structure established incorporating post-qualification training and advanced, specialist qualifications. Courses should also be developed to train Deaf people to become interpreters - for example providing relay interpreting services or translating from written text to BSL.

Registered trainee interpreters should, wherever possible, spend time working with fully accredited interpreters who, in turn, should be practicing and updating their skills on a regular basis, in line with registration rules laid down by the independent registration bodies. They should be required to show evidence of their ongoing professional development and training.

Professional standards

High quality interpreting requires sensitivity to the different demands of various interpreting assignments. For example appropriate, culture, gender and sexuality matching can improve the overall quality of interpreting in a given situation.

Pending the establishment of an independent registration body, guidelines for interpreters, as laid down by existing registration bodies should be followed at all times to ensure the highest possible professional standards. Consumers of interpreting services, both Deaf and hearing, would benefit from awareness training in how to use interpreters effectively.

The BDA calls for:

· An urgent expansion of government-funded interpreter training.

· The establishment of an independent registration body.

· Effective monitoring of standards of interpreting by the registration bodies.

· Establishment of post-qualification and specialist training schemes.

· Training for Deaf people to become interpreters.

Teaching and Learning BSL

Demand for BSL courses has increased dramatically in the last decade. More and more people are learning the language - 22,000 people took basic level examinations in BSL in the year 1999-2000⁴ - and some professionals in education and social services are required to hold BSL qualifications. There are various ways of learning BSL, including a new system of teaching and assessment, begun in 1998, within the framework of the N/SVQ. However, the BDA has grave concerns about the current quality and standard of much BSL teaching and assessment. Many colleges are employing inadequately qualified tutors. Funding is also a problem, with insufficient financial support for BSL students or for Deaf trainee tutors. This is a major contributory factor in the long-term shortage of registered qualified and trainee interpreters.

Learning

Students of BSL have the right to be taught by highly qualified and trained tutors, and to be exposed to the cultural context of BSL. Learners should be provided with the means to understand and respect Deaf culture, and courses should emphasize interpersonal and cross-cultural communication as the foundation for successful learning of the language. BSL should be available as a modern language option in schools.

Teaching and Assessment

Many tutors lack appropriate qualifications - both language and teaching qualifications. There is insufficient funding for Deaf people to train as BSL tutors and there is a shortage of Deaf tutor-trainers.

Tutors and examiners should be native/fluent users of BSL and actively engaged with the Deaf community, with a comprehensive knowledge of Deaf culture. They should have access to recognised tutor training and possess relevant qualifications. They should also demonstrate competence of the structure and linguistics of BSL. Those teaching BSL to children, as opposed to adult learners, should have an appropriate teaching qualification. It is the BDA's view that teaching of BSL is usually best delivered by appropriately qualified Deaf tutors.

To ensure high quality teaching of BSL:

· Funding must be made available to address the current shortage of qualified BSL tutor-trainers, tutors and assessors.

· All BSL tutors and assessors must meet standard qualification criteria, including training in BSL linguistics, before teaching BSL classes.

· Course-providers must implement the BDA's tutor policy as a commitment to good practice.

· BSL must be included as a language option on school curriculums.

Access to Information and Services

Deaf people face many barriers when using public and private services. This is frequently due to a lack of awareness on the part of service providers, and insufficient communication support. Deaf people with visual impairments (including those with Usher syndrome) or other disabilities are especially disadvantaged.

Whether in health services, social care, or commercial services, Deaf people are unable to make use of services and information which hearing people take for granted. A school parents' evening, a visit to the doctor, or a meeting with the bank manager will all be difficult without proper interpreting services. Deaf people do not have proper access to the justice system.

Because English is usually their second or third language, Deaf BSL users are often unable to access written information. Service providers therefore need to use BSL interpreters wherever necessary and to make information available in BSL formats, for instance on video, CD-Rom or DVD.

In the case of health and social care services, Deaf people with complex or additional needs often find that only one need is addressed. For example, Deaf people with learning difficulties may find that those difficulties are addressed at the expense of their needs as Deaf people, or vice versa.

The BDA demands that:

· Front-line service staff receive Deaf Awareness Training, including how to deal with Deaf people and how to modify communication methods.

· Service providers use appropriately qualified and accredited BSL interpreters where necessary to facilitate full access to Deaf service-users.

· Public information be made available in BSL formats and circulated widely.

· Deaf-user consultation forums are established as a matter of good practice, to ensure that local services are responsive to the needs of the Deaf community.

· Information technology and multimedia - for example video telephony - be harnessed to improve access for Deaf people.

Broadcasting

The use of BSL on television, both in programmes presented by Deaf people and in interpreted programmes, is essential.

Deaf people signing on television are positive role models for deaf children and their parents, fostering confidence in their potential for linguistic development and achievement. For Deaf children under the age of six, given their reading ability, BSL on television may be the only accessible language exposure they receive.

The Broadcasting Act 1996 and a related Statutory Order issued in January 1997 require that, by the tenth anniversary of their launch, digital terrestrial channels provide signing on 5% of programmes each week. The BDA believes that this requirement should be extended to cable and satellite channels and we welcome the government's commitment to legislate for this as set out in the Department for Culture, Media and Sports review of the statutory requirements (January 2001). The Independent Television Commission (ITC), which regulates the digital terrestrial channels, has set interim targets for BSL provision. The BDA welcomes these targets, but is concerned that some broadcasters have expressed reluctance to provide programmes presented in BSL (as opposed to being interpreted). The BDA believes that broadcasters should provide a range of signed programmes and that fifty per cent should be presented in BSL.

The BDA calls for:

· Only highly skilled and trained presenters and interpreters to be used on television.

· Training for Deaf interpreters to be developed (for example in translating from autocue or in pre-recorded, scripted programmes).

· Broadcasters to consult with Deaf viewers widely and on an ongoing basis.

· The broadcasting regulator to monitor the quality of BSL/English interpretation on television.

Summary

The right to use one's own language is a fundamental human right. The BDA therefore demands:

· Official recognition of BSL as a minority language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

· The establishment of a BSL Task Force to review existing legislation and recommend new measures and legislation to improve Deaf people's access to all walks of life.

· The right to a bilingual/bicultural education for all deaf children.

· An urgent increase in government-funded interpreter training.

· The establishment of an independent registration body to set and monitor standards in interpreting.

· Government investment to train Deaf tutors of BSL.

· Better regulation of BSL courses, qualifications and tutors.

· More signed programmes on television and fifty percent of these to be programmes presented in, as opposed to interpreted into, BSL.

SUBMISSION FROM PROFESSOR GRAHAM CAIE

Thanks for your letter asking for information about Scots language. Hope this isn't too late, but I've spent the last 2 months reading some 2000 pieces of research for the Research Assessment Exercise! As you know, I was previously convenor of the SLRC and still actively support Scots whenever possible. As a teacher of Scots language at Glasgow Univ. I can comment on some educational aspects. We teach Scots Language in all 4 years of study here and have two honours papers on Scots. As the first year has over 400 students, there will be in the future a fair number of young Scots (and students from other nations) well acquainted with and used to working in Scots. I've never yet received a complaint about the usefulness of teaching Scots in the c. 6 years it has been on offer. On the contrary, we find that it gives Scots speakers greater confidence in seminars and other occasions for oral communication. When they realise that the language they bring to the univ has a long and noble heritage and was once spoken by parliament and monarch, they overcome the stigma that is attached to certain varieties of Scots. As you know, terms such as `substandard', `vulgar' or even `gutter' language have been used. The result is that a sizeable group of students (and the Scottish community for that matter) suffer from the delusion that the language they use is inferior.

Attitudes to language only reflect common attitudes to the speakers of that language and so urban Scots speakers probably suffer most discrimination in this respect. By educating the Scots population that Scots (that is, the sum of the geographical varieties or dialects) comes from Northumbrian Old English, is to an extent fossilised and that many of the sounds, forms and much of the vocabulary we use is simply older than modern standard English. I can come with many examples such as `aye', `nae','comin' for `coming', `gaed' for `went', etc.

What can be done? First, our teachers need to be educated in what Scots language is. I was involved with writing the Advanced Higher Scots Language module, but I believe that no teacher has yet presented pupils for this paper (I hope I'm wrong here) -- at least very, very few have done it. We also need Scots language teachers to go round the schools telling teachers how they can apply the increasing number of excellent teaching materials on Scots, e.g., the Kist. It's no good having the material if it's not used. Then we must encourage pupils to use written Scots, to consult the SNDA Web site for schools and use the Scots dictionaries, etc. More research into Scots language needs to be done. There is only a handful of scholarly books on Scots compared to thousands of works on the English language; we need to investigate the state of current spoken Scots as a living language. We have some preconceived ideas of what is happening linguistically, but no concrete scientific information.

These are some initial thoughts on the subject, but as I'm not 100% sure about the nature of the information you're looking for, I'll stop here and allow you to ask questions.

I'm delighted that this inquiry is taking place and would like to support it all I can.

Graham D Caie

Professor of English Language

Department of English

School of English and Scottish Language and Literature,

University of Glasgow

SUBMISSION FROM DON CARNEY

Finding from my Doric language video research for an award of Phd.

The following bullet points are headings into which my research nestles. I hope they will be of value for you.

I have no hesitation in submitting my name.

Now becoming more recognised as a significant aspect of our society.

Being accepted by academics as part of contemporary research and academia

Utilised within schools as a curricular input

Seen not as low culture but seen as part of social inclusion

Highlights differentation

Leads to the development of cultural pride

Identifying language as part of our natural inheritance

Recognition of its application and continued development over centuries

Identified as an icon of Scottishness

Supports issues within Scottish tourism strategy

Supports issues in the Cultural strategy

Recognition of its ability to be easier understood outwith the dialect area.

Has common relationships with other world languages/dialects

All part of an Internationalism of common linguistic style

It has world transferability

It has association for ex pats

If I can be of any more help to you please do not hesitate to contact me.

Don Carney

Lecturer in Tourism Management

The Robert Gordon University

School of Hotel Tourism and Retail management

SUBMISSION FROM CERES

(CENTRE FOR EDUCATION FOR RACIAL EQUALITY IN SCOTLAND), THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH)

Evidence submitted to the Committee of Inquiry on Community Language Provision in Scotland set up by the Education, Culture and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament

In May 1999, CERES published the booklet, Bilingualism, Community Languages and Scottish Education : a challenge for policy makers and practitioners in a devolved Scotland (sent under separate cover). The booklet contains the results of a survey of provision of community languages across Scottish local authorities and other education providers (pp.13-18), and makes recommendations for further action (pp. 25-34).

In order to make provision of community languages sustainable, all gaps which currently exist in the cycle of provision (see Figure 1) for all of Scotland's community languages (other than English) need to be closed.

A. The context for the maintenance and development of community languages needs to be established:

Government commitment to policy and resources

Since devolution there has been a great deal of progress in raising the visibility of community languages and ensuring that their existence is not eclipsed by English. However, government initiatives have been fragmented because they straddle so many departments and units (Education/Social Inclusion/Culture). Consequently, there has been a lack of joined-up policy which sees the connections between provision for Gaelic, modern European languages, Scots, ethnic minority community languages and BSL and their contribution to the definition of Scotland as a multilingual and multicultural society. Integration of initiatives is best achieved through the development of a Languages Policy for Scotland (see Australia and South Africa), which establishes a common framework for the development of the languages of Scotland and for their provision in education, local government and other public sectors.

Support and involvement of community language users

The position of Gaelic and BSL has been strengthened by the mobilisation of Gaelic-speakers and BSL users to support initiatives in Gaelic-medium and BSL-medium education. However, for the other community languages of Scotland there is still a belief amongst native speakers of these languages, engendered by their lack of status in education and public life in Scotland, that Scots and ethnic minority community languages should not be supported in mainstream education, lest they 'hold children back from achieving proficiency in English'. This attitude needs to change so that a demand for community languages within the education system can be created. There is an urgent need for a national linguistic audit of Scotland to find out the extent and pattern of linguistic diversity, to inform planning of provision.

Wider recognition of the value of multilingualism

This is linked to the need to establish amongst teachers and educational policy-makers recognition of the value of multilingualism. Dr Geri Smyth's research (Strathclyde University School of Education) into the attitudes of teachers in south Glasgow has revealed that the common view is that children need to become monolingual in order to succeed in school. This view needs to be challenged through initial teacher education and CPD programmes. One problem facing teachers in Gaelic-medium units, for example, is that they often have little or no information about the value of bilingualism to use in reassuring parents and colleagues, because this is not covered in their ITE courses.

Indeed, the continued marginalisation of community languages, and, in particular, the impact that this has on children's educational achievement, may well constitute institutional racism and an abuse of human rights, if tested in the courts.

B. Within a supportive context, there are a number of pre-requisites to ensure sustainable provision. These are not yet fully in place for any of the community languages.

1) The existence of opportunities for education through the medium of a community language or of a strong maintenance programme.

· Opportunities for Gaelic-medium primary education and for the use of BSL in schools are increasing throughout Scotland. The question of extending Gaelic-medium provision to the post-primary stage needs to be addressed urgently.

· Whilst such opportunities exist for Gaelic and BSL, no similar provision exists for other community languages, nor are there strong maintenance programmes provided through mainstream education outside a few schools in Glasgow and Edinburgh (here they compete with more prestigious European languages). Bilingual provision, through the appointment in many authorities of bilingual classroom assistants, is seen as low status provision and is usually perceived not as strengthening the first language but as easing the transition to the second.

· Most community language provision is carried out through community classes, some of which are supported out of public funds. However, the quality of provision is not monitored, nor are there training opportunities for the teachers of these community classes.

1) Recognised certification

SQA makes provision for certification in Gaelic for native speakers and for learners, and for Standard Grade Urdu, which is treated as a foreign, and not as a community, language. Plans are under discussion to increase provision to include Higher Urdu and Standard Grade Cantonese. Other ethnic minority community language speakers have to rely on syllabuses and examinations produced by English examination boards. The SQA should consider the extension of its provision to include Bengali and Arabic and should think of exams for learners of some of these languages.

The provision of modules in community languages and in Scots also needs to be considered.

2) Study of community languages in HE

- For community languages, other than Gaelic, the supply of graduates with degrees in the community language depends on continued migration from overseas. Since the extent of immigration of speakers of the most common ethnic minority community languages in Scotland has declined over recent years, the continued supply of graduates has been threatened. This affects entry to teaching for potential teachers of community languages especially, and also reduces the likelihood of students opting for community languages as examination subjects in secondary schools.

3) ITE to teach community languages

The supply of teachers is a problem for all community languages, including Gaelic. At the moment, a few designated centres offer ITE programmes in Gaelic (University of Strathclyde and Northern College) and in Community Languages (University of Strathclyde). I see no reason why all colleges which make provision for language teaching should not be permitted to take potential teachers of any language (including community languages) for a generic language teaching course leading to a PGCE Secondary qualification. The distinction, however, needs to be made between programmes which prepare teachers of the languages as subjects (like French, German and secondary Gaelic) and subject teachers who will be using the language as a medium (as in Gaelic-medium education). This distinction is not sufficiently clear at the moment.

4) Career opportunities other than teaching

It is becoming recognised that there are career opportunities for Gaelic speakers in the media, local government and the arts. Such opportunities are not so clear for users of other community languages. However, there is a widespread need for fluent speakers of ethnic minority community languages in a number of public service and commercial sectors of employment (e.g. health, social and welfare services, local government, the police and Scottish criminal justice system, financial services, retail, etc), but there are few opportunities for multilingual training or certification in these areas. There is also the perception that linguistic skills act as a barrier to promotion and to mainstream posts.

We would be happy to provide more evidence if you require.

On behalf of CERES,

John Landon

Senior Lecturer and Head of Department of Educational Studies

Faculty of Education

The University of Edinburgh

SUBMISSION FROM AIMEE CHALMERS

Submission of Evidence to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament on the role of cultural and educational policy and provision in supporting and developing Scots, Gaelic and minority languages.

My evidence focuses particularly on Scots language and draws on my personal experience of education as a student and teacher.

I spoke Scots and English until the age of 5, but was taught at school to regard a Scots accent as inferior. By the time I went to secondary school, I was ashamed to use Scots and had no concept of it as a "language". Speaking Scots had no part in getting on, though it was used at home.

Later, working with Travellers, I discovered that I could recognise and use Scots with them, and I came to appreciate its directness. Then, working with primary age ethnic minority students, I discovered the importance of mother tongue maintenance and helped to establish a number of mother tongue classes with support from, but outwith the mainstream educational system.

These experiences made me aware that my own mother tongue development had been suppressed, and made me wonder how the educational and linguistic attainments of generations of children like myself, had been effected. During a period teaching English abroad, using materials produced for the "English as a Foreign Language" market, I was struck by the cultural values, alien to my Scottish experience, which were assumed in the texts. I also learned the extent to which people abroad assume Scotland to be part of England. "It's the same thing, isn't it? You speak English."

This made me reflect on the extent to which language is fundamental to cultural identity and to which distinctive vocabularies and rhythms of languages mirror cultural experiences.

I consider myself lucky that my experiences gave me insight into my own impoverished linguistic background. Many Scots people remain cut off from their linguistic roots, and many do not even consider Scots to be a language. Although I try to use Scots now, I still struggle to speak it within certain contexts and have difficulty writing it. I recognise that I have a limited vocabulary, am ignorant of spelling rules and have scant knowledge of grammar. My stumbling progress in relearning what is actually my first language may be partly due to the fact that I was actively discouraged from using it when I was young, but is not helped by the fact that there are currently few educational opportunities for using it and learning from others.

In relation to individuals, I believe that mother tongue maintenance is of vital importance for conceptual development, and for the self-confidence and self-esteem of students. Quite apart from that, bilingualism in any language is an asset in the modern world, and should be encouraged.

In relation to the Scottish nation, I believe that the general lack of respect for the language (and history) is no more than a sympton of cultural alienation which could be remedied by positive action on the part of political and educational decision makers. I believe that to take a confident stance in relation to the modern world, and to promote Scotland in relation to other nations, the Scottish people need to have pride in what made them distinctive in the past; including their linguistic heritage and cultural values.

The Scottish Parliament should give official recognition to the Scots language, should ensure that it is used alongside English and should develop and implement educational and cultural policies to support it.

Aimee Chalmers

Braidleys Cottages,

Auchtermuchty,

Fife

SUBMISSION FROM CLI

I am writing to make you aware of Clì's views on this subject, as agreed by the Clì Board at its meeting in Perth on 11^th August.

Clì's policy is to write to Parliament and to the Executive mainly in Gaelic only (assistance with translation, if necessary, will be available through the Parliament's Gaelic Officer).

First of all, thank you for inviting us to give evidence to you as the reporter for the Education, Culture and Sport Committee.

Regarding education, we would like to draw your attention to:

1) How the definite will of the Gaelic community and those who put the interests of the language ahead of other interests - irrespective of what language they have - is legislation for Secure Status for Gaelic. A Draft Bill was prepared for Calum Macdonald MP, Minister for Gaelic, by Comunn na Gàidhlig (CnaG) on behalf of the Gaelic community. It deals with various forms of Gaelic education, and we cannot do better than to recommend this to you. Clì has fully supported legislation for Secure Status since it was first recommended in 1997.

2) We continue to support The Specific Grants Scheme for Gaelic, but we ask you to ensure that the scheme is used to bring Gaelic education projects to the level where they can then be financed within the Councils' own mainstream budgets.

3) Gaelic-medium education needs security in law at a national level to protect and enable its normal funding within the competitive budgeting system operated by Councils. It must be emphasised that Gaelic-medium education is not a mere subject, but an education system, and at that a system that has attained a high standard of achievement ("The Attainment of Pupils Receiving Gaelic-medium Primary Education in Scotland", Scottish CILT 1998) no matter what the language of the home is or what part of the country it is delivered - if the development of this system has reached a ceiling, that is due to an uncertainty and lack of promotion on the part of Councils and Government, owing to ignorance, misunderstanding and/or prejudice.

4) Because the Gaelic-medium system of education is so small and hidden compared to the English-medium system of education, and because the status and position of Gaelic and its community nationally, is so fragile, it needs a special level of support that would not be seen as appropriate or necessary for the community in general. For example, there is a great need to encourage people to teach through the medium of Gaelic or to teach Gaelic as a subject, and there is a need for educational support systems, like language therapy, that operates at a national level so that those who participate have appropriate skills and language knowledge.

5) There is a need to develop a national strategy for learners of Gaelic in the schools. Targets would require to be set for this strategy.

6) There is a need to develop a national strategy for learners of Gaelic beyond the school stage similar to the community and college learning courses in Wales. Targets would require to be set for this strategy. Such a strategy could follow on from the report compiled by A C Boyd Robertson for SQA on full-time "Gaelic Immersion Courses".

7) There is a need for Scottish Languages classes for every school pupil in the country, which would teach them about the history and the multi-lingual features of Scotland, taking account of those languages that are newest to this land. This would not be like foreign language learning, but placing each language in the local community, using the likes of place names and poetry old and new and language speakers of the area, in order to dismiss the narrow opinions of Gaelic "over in the Western Isles", of Scots "over in Buchan" and immigrant languages "over in the cities". This would no longer be cultural learning (although the traditions of each language would naturally come into the language learning), that would be likely to present an old-fashioned picture no longer applicable to youth or other lifestyles. In this way, one would hope that prejudice, lack of knowledge and NIMBY type views could be expurged in respect of every language and its speakers.

Regarding culture, we shall supply you with the information we gave the Executive in their national cultural strategy consultation (Celebrating Scotland" Scottish Executive 1999), in the expectation and hope that your inquiry will be more willing to accept it.

With reference to the principal subjects mentioned in the paper, Clì are aware that:

· Gaelic as much as anything else characterises a culture that is "exceptional and valuable to Scotland".

· There is a national interest in Gaelic amongst those closely connected with Scotland, amongst fellow Celts and many others. As shown by the membership of Clì, it is not just an affinity with Scotland but a curiosity and keenness in Gaelic from outwith Scotland.

· Gaelic itself is "fast changing and open" to this influence and to influences of other elements of Scottish culture and to the effect of those cultures that are close to it; this is a good thing in enlivening and developing the language.

· Gaelic is in "the ownership of Scotland" and those abroad who use it, and "all of us who enjoy it" (Introduction), but also all Scottish people, because, like environmental, health and economic matters 7c, Gaelic is a living and native language, affecting everyone - it is entrusted in users on behalf of all Scottish people and the world's wealth of languages.

· "Scottish Arts play an important role in the economic and social development of the nation" but also that Gaelic is a foundation for national culture from which the Arts draw and creates a means for delivering the Arts.

· "Scottish culture helps to widen the vision and confidence of school and college staff to create new ideas and arts" but also that the service on which it has the greatest effect and benefit is Gaelic-medium education.

· "Scottish culture enables every person to participate in their own community", and that there are very few places in Scotland where there are no Gaelic place names or access to Gaelic broadcasting; and that there is nowhere in Scotland without access to Gaelic literature or the opportunity to converse with members of the community who have or are learning Gaelic.

· Gaelic is a "nursery school" and a "foundation" for views, for arts and for business; but as a living language that can do so, it needs to be promoted in every way of life nationally.

· Scottish culture and Gaelic "promote self-esteem, has a celebrated reputation and advances civilisation."; Gaelic is for those who choose it, but Gaelic is also an original and willing part of Scottish culture for those who choose not to have a direct involvement in the language.

To answer the questions posed in the paper:

What does culture mean to you?

What we take from our traditions, from other cultures with which we are linked, and from our skills and opinions; that is to say, what we are leaving as part of their traditions for future generations.

What objectives should a cultural strategy have?

Maintenance and development of the environment where the language can come alive; regarding Gaelic, this means developing the use of the language at a national level and bringing it into new areas.

How can be achieve these objectives? Do we have the right methods and structures?

By implementing Gaelic policies in the work of the Scottish Executive, by guiding and assisting the other public services to implement Gaelic policies, and by encouraging and assisting the private sector to introduce Gaelic policies.

What links should exist between the national organisations and national companies in respect of the active arts and what is delivered by local authorities?

Every local authority in Scotland has a role in suppporting Gaelic, for example by publicly offering Gaelic education and by placing the language in a visible environment through placenames on signs etc.; the Scottish Executive has a role in directly promoting this in their consultation exercises with local authorities, and also by setting good examples for them in their own work. Clì is already involved in publicising at no cost, adult learners courses for local authorities, and more could be done in this area; Comunn na Gàidhlig's education service should be extended to enable it to support and advise local authorities. The work of The Community Education Review Group and of the other inter-authority review groups should be developed to bring in other authorities at an information, consultation and advisory level.

What is the best way for Scottish culture to benefit from new technology?

By introducing opportunities for participation, and services, through the language, to be available by choice.

How can improved links be developed between the Arts, cultural activities and commercial arts activities, to bring mutual improvement?

By using Gaelic as a visible, living standard for the Celtic tradition and culture of Scotland.

How can Scottish Arts be better presented to the world in general?

With a visible, public, bilingual image.

How can Scottish Culture enhance the richness of the education system?

By developing and advancing Gaelic education.

How can we extend the Arts to more people?

By assisting moves to create a national co-ordinated system designed to deliver Gaelic language learning.

What emphasis should we place on the indigenous culture of Scotland in relation to Gaelic or Scots?

The heaviest emphasis, on Scots Gaelic and the Scots language as national languages (not as a Lowland form of English applicable to a part of the country, as the word "Broad Scots" used in the paper means!).

Peadar Morgan,

Director.

SUBMISSION FROM COMANN NAM PÀRANT

Introduction

Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta) [CnP(N)] is the national representative organisation for parents whose children are educated through the medium of Gaelic throughout Scotland, at various levels of the state education system. CnP(N) is happy to contribute to consideration of the above subject as it is keen to see substantial progress on the development of the Gaelic language and particularly Gaelic-medium education (GME). The following submission is confined to the part of the inquiry that deals with the Gaelic language.

Current state of Gaelic

We cannot emphasise too strongly that in its current situation, the Gaelic language is in a state of terminal decline - it is at the lowest ebb it has ever reached. The Gaelic-speaking population has dropped dramatically (from 95,000 in 1951 to 65,000 in 1991) in just a few generations to the extent that, in the absence of firm state intervention, its extinction as a community language in any part of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland is foreseen even before the middle of this century. Despite the commendable efforts at a Gaelic Renaissance in the past twenty years, the 2001 Census is likely to reveal a record low number of speakers of around 50,000. Why? Quite simply, the number of dying speakers in an elderly rural population together with general depopulation problems in the Highlands amnd Islands, exceeds the number of new speakers of the language by 5:1 and none of the efforts of successive governments, and particularly the current Scottish Executive, have been effective enough in stemming the decline.

Public policies and provision

The major factor here is the complete lack of national or local policies for the development of the Gaelic language. Comunn na Gàidhlig (CNAG) have for at least five years been calling for a National Policy for Gaelic Education. At the recent Gaelic Congress (June 2001) held in Edinburgh, the Depute Minister for Enterpise, Highlands & Islands, Tourism and Gaelic, Alasdair Morrison responded to a question on this by stating that such a policy was now being compiled. Recent evidence from meetings attended by civil servants suggests that such a policy is not being compiled. Clearly there is no national strategy for the recovery of this declining minority language - a language that has been described by the Minister as "a precious jewel in the heart and soul of Scotland". All funding initiatives emanating from successive governments have been of an ad hoc fashion, without any clearly defined achievement targets.

GME has received support funding through the Specific Grants Scheme since 1986 but only on the basis of meeting partially meeting whatever level of demand is demonstrated. This is of course what Gaelic communities have come to accept - that every allocation of funding support to the Gaelic language, whether it be education, the arts, broadcasting, the economy etc. has to be fought for and appreciated. That appears to be the government's intention for any future funding e.g. despite the inclusion of Gaelic as a national priority in education under the recent Standards in Scottish Schools Act, the Education Minister has made it clear that further development in Gaelic education will be dependent on further parental demand being demonstrated.

Consequently, the level of parental weariness at, and distrust of, the Scottish Executive's approach to Gaelic development is now at an all-time high. Although the number of pupils in GME in Scotland continues to increase annually, the current total of 2600 is only a tiny fraction of the 24,000 target called for by the leading language expert Professor Joe Lo Bianco in his government-commissioned report to the Executive in which he called on the Executive to devise and implement a National Language and Literacy Plan.

We are in no doubt that if it became clear to the Executive that by the middle of this century, there would be no heather left on the hillsides, no wildlife in the forests, no freshwater fish in the lochs - the hills and mountains effectively becoming a desert, that prospect would trigger emergency action to conserve those features that are recognised as essential to Scotland's distinctive identity. Why is the proven decline in our indigenous languages not addressed to the same extent? Yet, that is the reality of Gaelic's current situation. Languages and cultures, once lost, can not be replaced. If Scotland was declared a "language conservation area", recognising what the country will lose when their indigenous languages disappear, a national plan of action would be drawn up and a co-ordinated strategy put in place. There is no better year than 2001 as European Minority Languages Year, to instigate the necessary support for our indigenous minority languages.

If the Executive seriously intends to revitalise the Gaelic language, we consider the basic requirements to be:

· A realisation that the `primary' objective must first be to reverse the decline in the number of Gaelic speakers. That will require policies and strategies designed to achieve necessary increases in child and adult learners through enhanced GME opportunities and adult immersion courses respectively, setting defined annual targets within realistic timescales. We draw the Committee's attention to the recent report compiled by A G Boyd Robertson on behalf of the SQA on "Gaelic Immersion Courses" (July 2001), and commend its recommendations to you. There is nothing inappropriate about targets for Gaelic speakers - governments set targets constantly for education, health, conservation measures etc. They monitor progress and subsequently publish achievement figures.

· The development of the language needs to be on a firm foundation, on a statutory basis (as called for by CNAG in its `Secure Status' report in 1997 which at the time was supported by all the main political parties), supported by appropriate policies nationally and locally together with a range of advertising and promotion campaigns. The government can set examples in `positive encouragement' for local authorities and public organisations to follow. Communities, even in traditional Gaelic-speaking areas need to be encouraged to use the language in all appropriate situations.

· There are a range of `secondary' or `support' objectives which are also necessary to provide the necessary environment for the Gaelic language to survive i.e. Broadcasting (dedicated channel for Gaelic under consideration), Arts & Culture (National Gaelic Arts Project, Feisean na Gaidheal, National and Local Mods, extra-curricular activities for pupils etc), Gaelic Publications via the National Resource Centre, Acair, Gairm etc., and Internet services (Dualchas project). The irony is that many of these support facilities (although of necessity costly ventures) have actually been more favourably funded from the public purse than the basic measures of formal education or learners courses in Gaelic, but even so they all require further development to create effective development opportunities for Gaelic speakers. All of these support mechanisms must continue to be adequately funded and resourced.

Later this year, CnP(N) intend to submit a petition to the Scottish Parliament calling for many of these measures to which we refer, to be put in place as a matter of urgency. That petition is currently being circulated in the community seeking public support.

Should the Committee wish clarification on any of the above information, or even oral evidence in support of our written submission, we shall of course be happy to provide that.

John M Macleod,

Convener, Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta),

SUBMISSION FROM JOHN CORBETT

Scottish Executive Report on Scots

Observations made by John Corbett

(Chair, ASLS Language Committee)

1) The current linguistic situation

The current linguistic situation in Scotland is complex. The complexity encompasses the use of different language varieties. These varieties in turn have spoken and written forms, and may be described from a range of perspectives: the accent(s) associated with them, their vocabulary and grammar, the uses that the variety is put to (public and domestic), the region, social class, ethnicity, age of typical speakers, etc. Still, out of this complexity, the following generalisations can be made

English

`English' in Scotland ranges from a written standard variety disseminated by the education system. The written standard variety usually influences the vocabulary and grammar used in the speech of those Scots who like to consider themselves `educated'. Standard English in Scotland differs little in vocabulary and grammar from Standard English varieties elsewhere, but the accents of Scottish English are clearly distinctive.

In Scotland, as elsewhere in the English-speaking world, there are non-standard spoken varieties that have their own norms and conventions, and serve to indicate affiliation to different communities, defined by a complex of factors such as class, age, ethnicity and gender. These varieties are often stigmatised as `uneducated' by those whose speech adheres more to the norms of standard English, particularly when used in writing. However, non-standard speakers adhere to non-standard forms because they have prestige within the communities to which they prefer to affiliate.

Scots

Closely related to English, Scots still is still used in speech and writing in Scotland. Although Scots is used as a literary medium by some, there is at present no written standard variety (i.e. there is no prescriptive form of Scots codified in dictionaries and grammar books, disseminated through and enforced by the education system and used as a matter of course in public documents). No such variety has ever evolved in Scotland.

Scots, therefore, is largely restricted to speech and therefore is often equated with non-standard English. Like non-standard English, it serves to indicate affiliation with particular communities, defined by factors such as region, social class, and age. However, Scottish characteristics may or may not be stigmatised as `uneducated' depending on largely on the political affiliations and linguistic prejudices of the individual. Scots speakers can point to a distinctive literary tradition and linguistic history to justify their use of certain linguistic features. Over the years, the educational system has been ambivalent about Scots: first trying to eradicate it, and then advocating tolerance.

Gaelic

Gaelic is obviously an indigenous language of Scotland; however, it currently has few native speakers and fewer still of those are monolingual. It nevertheless attracts government support as a minority language. In many ways it is easier to argue for support for Gaelic than Scots, since its status as a different language from English is more clear-cut and the community it serves is also distinctive.

Community Languages

Various immigrant languages are also spoken by ethnic communities within Scotland: Urdu and Chinese being the best established. They are little studied but are probably having an impact at local levels where there are large numbers of Urdu/Chinese speakers.

2. Scots Language Groups

Current Scots language groups tend to have emerged from cultural and political nationalist movements in the 20^th Century. They are of various types and have different objectives. Among the best known are:

The Dictionary Projects

Cultural nationalism can be said to have driven the two great dictionary projects of the last century, the Scottish National Dictionary (SND) and the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (DOST). The former was financed and organised by a limited company run as a charitable organisation (the Scottish National Dictionary Association) and the latter by major Scottish Universities (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Stirling, and Aberdeen). As DOST comes to publication and the Joint Council of Universities winds up, there is a move to merge the two projects into one new body, provisionally entitled Scottish Language Dictionaries (SLD), with substantial core funding from the Scottish Arts Council. If the application for funding succeeds, the SLD project will act as a major research archive, and a source for individual dictionary projects.

Scots Language Society, Scots Tung, Aiberdeen Scots Leid Quorum, etc

These are `activist' societies, to promote the written and spoken use of Scots, the best established and most influential of which is the Scots Language Society (SLS). It has various branches, holds annual collogues, and publishes the long-running magazine, Lallans (supported by the Scottish Arts Council). The activist societies tend to focus on the establishment of a common, national, homogeneous, literary Scots, based on historically verified speech forms. This form of Scots (once identified) would be available for dissemination through education, and usable in public documents. The assumption is that the promotion of Scots necessitates the kind of standardisation process undergone by English, in order to create a prestige written standard that (like standard English) would also form a model of `good spoken Scots'. This assumption is not universally held, and can cause hostility from those who feel that a standard Scots would necessarily exclude them as non-standard Scots speakers and writers. There is also some debate about which variety of contemporary Scots would serve as the basis for standard Scots - e.g. NE Scots or Central Scots?

Association for Scottish Literary Studies

The Association for Scottish Literary Studies is another organisation largely made up of volunteers, but with two paid staff, a general manager and part-time secretary. It receives core funding from the Scottish Arts Council, and publishes various texts each year, mainly to subscribers: one hardback volume of Scottish Literature (sometimes with a strong Scots content, as in the acclaimed two-volume edition of the poems of William Dunbar), the annual New Writing Scotland, and the academic journal Scottish Language. The ASLS Language Committee organises conferences on the languages of Scotland (mainly Scots and Gaelic) and various of its members are involved in academic and educational support for the study of Scots. The ASLS Schools Committee also holds an annual conference and provides educational materials for teachers. For example, a new ASLS anthology for the 10-14 age range will be jointly published with the Scottish Children's Press (with SAC assistance). It has prose and poems in a variety of local forms of Scots (Dundee, Aberdeenshire, Glasgow) as well as English and one poem in Gaelic.

Scots Language Resource Centre (SLRC)

The SLRC was originally based at AK Bell Library in Perth. This was set up with a grant of £30 000 from the Scottish Office, and then subsidised by Perth and Kinross District Council, as well as by the SLS. In the past two years, funding has been subsidised by the Scottish Arts Council. It originally shared some of the aims of the SLS (i.e. the promotion of Scots in the public domain), although it was run by a committee with a wider range of interests and experience. It set up a web site and employed staff to handle queries, and ran events, sometimes in conjunction with SLS. However, after the local government subsidy was withdrawn, the SLRC regrouped and the organisation is presently chaired by Professor Richard Johnson of Stirling University. Professor Johnson also directs the Scottish Centre for Information on Language Teaching. Under Professor Johnson's chairmanship, the SLRC has moved more towards stimulating debate on language planning issues, and actually producing materials, e.g. Scotspeak, a manual for actors wishing to produce different varieties of Scots on stage. The SRLC comes up for review next year, and without further SAC funding, the future of the SLRC is unclear.

Institute for the Languages of Scotland (ILS)

This is an `umbrella body' that seeks to bring together several of the current language groups (e.g. Dictionary Projects, SLRC) with some of the academic activities going on in Scots (eg work done by Edinburgh University's School of Scottish Studies, and Glasgow University's Scots Corpus). The ILS applied for Scottish Executive funding, and was turned down, which may have dealt it a body-blow. Originally it sought to represent all the languages of contemporary Scotland (Scots, Gaelic, Community Languages) but, given that Executive support already exists for Gaelic, it might regroup and apply again for funding specifically to support Scots. Currently under the chairmanship of Dr Margaret A. Mackay of the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University, the ILS has been granted funds from the Carnegie Trust to perform a feasibility study on how best to co-ordinate current projects on Scots.

Scottish Cultural Resource Access Network (SCRAN)

SCRAN was set up with lottery funding to make electronically available to educational and private subscribers a wealth of information on Scottish culture. In the first phase of its development it was explicitly `non-text-oriented'; however, it has been involved in the digitisation and dissemination of spoken Scots and Gaelic, e.g. 300 poems recorded by poets have been digitised. It has also been involved in the digitisation of some of the archives of the School of Scottish Studies in Edinburgh. As the funding basis changes, SCRAN might become more active in the provision of educational materials relating to Scots, eg a CD-ROM for schools based on 18 poems in Scots, Gaelic and English, is about to be produced.

Cross-Party Group on the Scots Language

This body is made up of a selection of the above bodies - and so perhaps not surprisingly suffers from a lack of focus. The debates in the CPG resurrect some old debates in a new format: the substantial proportion of activists in the group promotes the wider use of Scots in the public sphere, whilst running up against the problem that English is the `natural' medium of public communication in most of Scotland today. However, it is a useful medium for bringing a range of linguistic, educational and cultural initiatives to the attention of MSP's.

3) Language in Education

5-14

The Scottish Office Education Department's National Guidelines on English 5-14 (1991) state that primary and secondary children should learn about the diversity of accents, dialects and languages in S