THE Scottish Greens have lodged proposals to help further protect the Gaelic and Scots languages, The National can reveal.
MSP Ross Greer has put forward amendments to protect and support Gaelic and Scots as part of the Scottish Languages Bill, which will be considered by Holyrood’s Education Committee on Wednesday.
If passed, the legislation will give the Gaelic and Scots languages official status in Scotland and make changes to the support for the education of the two across the country.
However, Greer’s amendments would write into law the principle that Gaelic and Scots be given equal respect to English and define what is meant by their “official” status as languages of Scotland.
Speaking to The National, Greer said: “Scots and Gaelic are Scotland’s languages, but centuries of deliberate attempts to destroy them both have pushed them to the very margins of modern life.
“Gaelic is on the verge of extinction, but it can recover and thrive with the right support. My amendments aim to do exactly that.
“If Scotland’s Parliament does not protect Scotland’s languages, who else will?”
A total of 97 amendments have been lodged for the bill, of which 46 have been lodged by Greer.
An additional amendment from Greer would apply further duties under the 2005 Gaelic Language Act to colleges, universities, ScotRail and Scottish Water.
Among the purposes of the act is to require “certain public authorities to prepare and publish Gaelic language plans in connection with the exercise of their functions”.
Greer continued: “Far too many languages have been lost to history. We cannot allow that to happen to Gaelic.
“It is part of the fabric, identity and tradition of communities across Scotland and has a key role in our history.
“Treating Gaelic and Scots with equal respect to English where appropriate is the very least we can do to undo centuries of harm.
“By backing Green amendments to the bill, MSPs can send a strong sign of support for Gaelic and Scots, and make clear that both languages have a thriving future in Scotland.”
It comes after we told how Scotland’s new Makar Peter Mackay said he wants to show Gaelic is a “living language of national importance” as he warned it could be lost in Hebridean communities “in the next couple of decades”.
Commenting, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “The Scottish Languages Bill presents us with a major opportunity to grow Scotland’s indigenous languages.
“The bill would enhance provision of Gaelic medium education, introduce standards for teaching Scots and Gaelic in schools and improve access to Gaelic early learning and childcare services.
“We have been working across Parliament to progress the bill and strengthen it to meet the needs of Scots and Gaelic speaking communities across Scotland.”
