Home  Page

New Gaelic teaching degree                          2/7/08

A new Gaelic teaching degree has been launched which will allow islanders to study in Stornoway and complete their award without leaving the islands.

The joint honours degree in Gaelic with Education – the first of its kind in Scotland – has been developed between the University of Aberdeen and colleges in the Highlands and Islands.

Christina Walker, a lecturer in the University of Aberdeen's School of Education has been appointed project co-ordinator for the new course, which will be delivered in partnership with the colleges of the UHI Millennium Institute (UHI).

Students can study at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic college in Skye, or at Lews Castle College in Stornoway, with the Education component completed via online distance learning with the School of Education, University of Aberdeen.

Christina, a crofter's daughter who went to school in Lewis in the 1960s, said: "This is a very exciting new post that takes forward a joint development between the University and UHI colleges to boost the number of Gaelic teachers.

"The new degree allows students to undertake academic studies in the language and to train for Gaelic teaching in a Gaelic environment, an opportunity which should boost their language competency, both oral and written, to a marked extent."

"They will be studying through immersion in the language, which will in turn assist them in their understanding of teaching youngsters by immersion methodology. The degree also allows students to qualify in four years at a time when there is a real shortage of Gaelic teachers at both primary and secondary level."

The first cohort of students will begin their degree studies in September 2008.