Glasgow headteacher welcomes £2m boost for new city school
Alison Richardson comes from a non-Gaelic speaking family, but learned the language at school in Glasgow, before training to be a teacher.
She said: 'My mum's family is from Barra, but neither of my parents spoke Gaelic. I learned it by going to school in the city.
'I have experienced all the benefits of a Gaelic education, so it's lovely that things have come full circle.'
Bun-sgoil Ghaidhlig a' challtainn pupils from left- Ishbel, Mirren and Pamelah outside what will be the new Gaelic primary school on Stevenson Street (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest)
Alison and some of her excited primary three pupils from Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a' Challtainn (Calton Gaelic Primary School) - including, pictured, Mirren, Ishbel and Pamelah, met Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic Kate Forbes on Tuesday (June 3) as the funding boost was announced.
Headteacher Alison Richardson with Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest)
The money will complete the £23m refurbishment and extension of the former St James' Primary building on Stevenson Street in the East End to establish the city's fourth Gaelic language primary school.
The school will have space for 416 pupils.
Alison was in the primary seven cohort when the city's first Gaelic school, Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu, opened in 1999. She attended Hillpark Secondary School, which had a Gaelic unit at the time, and completed her PGDE (Postgraduate Diploma in Education) at the University of Strathclyde.
Alison Richardson (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest)
She has been acting headteacher of Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a' Challtainn in its temporary premises at North Kelvinside Primary since August 2023.
'I've always wanted to be a teacher, I never really imagined doing anything else,' she explains.
'Everyone is really excited and proud to be moving into our very own building. I hope the school will become a real community asset, and that it will help to show the relevance of Gaelic today.
'Gaelic relies on people embracing the language and the culture, but equally, I want the school to embrace the families, to help them feel a part of the Gaelic community.'
During a recent arts project, pupils at Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a' Challtainn learned about the East End's historical connections to Gaelic, when many people arrived in Glasgow from the Highlands and Islands to find work.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes with Mirren, Ishbel and Pamelah (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest)
Alison explained: 'They learned that in one of the factories, where lichen was used to dye fabrics purple, the method was kept a secret from competitors because the workforce was made up entirely of Gaelic speakers.'
She adds, smiling: 'When it came to choosing their uniforms, the children remembered that story and decided on purple.
'There is a huge misconception that Gaelic wasn't spoken in Glasgow, but that's not true and I think this story is a reminder of that, and a lovely connection to the area's past.'
The funding announced by the Deputy First Minister is part of a £2.4 million package to support Gaelic schools and cultural initiatives across Scotland.
Other projects include the construction of a second classroom at West Primary School in Paisley (£43k), a new bothy with computing, cooking and gardening space at Calderglen High in East Kilbride (£52k) and equipment for Greenfaulds High in Cumbernauld to allow more children from across North Lanarkshire to attend classes virtually (£39k).
Ms Forbes said: 'This school will build on the encouraging surge we have seen in the number of Gaelic speakers and learners in Glasgow and support the language's growth into the future.
'Gaelic medium education enriches communities and offers good value for money by providing better grade averages across all qualification levels despite costs being no greater than average.'
She added: 'To support Gaelic's growth across Scotland, we are providing an additional £5.7 million for Gaelic initiatives this year. We are also progressing the Scottish Languages Bill which, if passed by MSPs, will introduce measures to strengthen the provision of Gaelic education.'
Glasgow is home to the third largest number of children and young people in Gaelic Medium Education in Scotland with 740 primary pupils in 2023. Census statistics show that 17,380 people in Glasgow had some Gaelic skills in 2022, an increase of 7911 people from 2011.
Glasgow City Council has provided £17.6 million towards works at Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a' Challtainn, within an overall project budget of £23.8 million.
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