[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan] Chaidh 30 bliadhna bhon a thòisich foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig sna h-Eileanan an Iar a chomharrachadh an-diugh aig Bun-sgoil Bhreascleit. 'S ann anns a’ bhun-sgoil sin a dh'fhosgail a' chiad ionad Gàidhlig sna h-Eileanan ann an 1986. Tha an aithris seo aig Ruaraidh Rothach.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Chlann-sgoile Bhun-sgoil Bhreascleit ann an deagh fhonn an-diugh, ’s iad a’ comharrachadh 30 bliadhna bhon a chaidh a’ chiad ionad Gàidhlig sna h-Eileanan an Iar a stèidheachadh an seo. An-diugh cha mhòr nach eil foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig ri fhaotainn sa h-uile coimhearsnachd sna h-Eileanan an Iar, ach dè cho cudromach ‘s a bha a’ chiad cheum seo?
[Uilleam Dòmhnallach] Uill tha a’ chiad cheum ann an turas sam bith uabhasach cudromach agus feumaidh tu sìol a chur. Agus ’s e seo caran a’ chiad ghràinean sìl a chaidh a chur agus tha mi smaoineachadh, an obair a chaidh a dhèanamh agus na daoine a bha an lùib na h-obrach aig an àm sin, tro Van Leer 's iad 'sin, gur e sin an obair bu chudromaiche a bh’ ann riamh airson, mura b’e na daoine sin cha bhiodh dad againn an-diugh. Faodaidh daoine gearain nach eil sinn a’ dèanamh an adhartais a bu chòir dhuinn ach tha sinn air adhartas mòr a dhèanamh agus cumaidh sinn ris an obair.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Am measg nan ciad sgoilearan anns a’ chiad chlas sin bha guth agus aghaidh air a bheil mòran eòlach – Alasdair Friseal.
[Alasdair Friseal] Mura bithinn’s air foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a dhèanamh cha bhithinn air obair a shireadh ann an craoladh no mar fhear-naidheachd. Thòisich mi le bhith ag obair san t-seòmar naidheachd aig BBC Alba ann an Inbhir Nis agus fhuair mi an obair sin air sgàth ‘s gu robh mi fileanta agus gu robh mi air foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a dhèanamh. Agus tha iomadh cothrom air a thighinn às an sin chun an latha an-diugh.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Cha deigheadh duine às àicheadh an adhartas a chaidh a dhèanamh sna 30 bliadhna a dh’ fhalbh. Ach dè an ro-innleachd a th’ aig Comhairle nan Eilean Siar gus foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a chumail aig ìre agus a leasachadh anns na bliadhnaichean a tha romhainn?
[An Comh Catriona Stiùbhart] Chan eil mòran sgoiltean air fhàgail a-nis far nach fhaigh thu cothrom a dhol tro foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, ’s tha sinn a’ feuchainn ri sin a neartachadh a h-uile bliadhna. Agus mar a tha sin a’ dol air adhart tha pàrantan agus a’ choimhearsnachd a’ faicinn cho soirbheachail ‘s a tha an dòigh foghlaim tha seo dhan chloinn. .
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ruaraidh Rothach, BBC An Là, Breasclete.
[Donald Morrison] 30 years of Gaelic Medium Education was being celebrated today at Breasclete Primary School. It was in that primary school that the first Gaelic Medium Unit opened on the islands in 1986. Roddy Munro has this report.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Breasclete Primary School children in good voice today as they celebrate 30 years since the first Gaelic Medium Unit on the Western Isles was set up here. Today Gaelic Medium Education is available in almost every community in the Western Isles, but how important was this first step?
[William MacDonald] Well the first step in any journey is very important and you have to plant seed. And this was, in a way, the first grains of seed to be planted and I think that if it wasn’t for the work carried out by the people involved at that time, through Van Leer most importantly of all, that we would have nothing today. People can complain that we’re not making the progress we should be but we have made great progress and we’ll keep on with the work.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Among the first pupils in that class was a voice and a face many will recognise – Alasdair Fraser.
[Alasdair Fraser] If I hadn’t been through Gaelic Medium Education I wouldn’t have sought work in broadcasting or as a journalist. I started working in the BBC Alba newsroom in Inverness and I got that job because I was fluent and had been through Gaelic Medium Education. And many opportunities have come from that to this day.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Nobody can deny the progress made in the past 30 years. But what strategy do the Western Isles Council have to maintain the standard of Gaelic Medium Education and to develop it in the years to come?
[Cllr Catriona Stewart] There aren’t many schools left now that don’t offer Gaelic Medium Education and we’re trying to build on that that each year. And as we progress parents and communities see how successful this form of education is for the children.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Roddy Munro, BBC An Là, Breasclete.
[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan] Chaidh 30 bliadhna bhon a thòisich foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig sna h-Eileanan an Iar a chomharrachadh an-diugh aig Bun-sgoil Bhreascleit. 'S ann anns a’ bhun-sgoil sin a dh'fhosgail a' chiad ionad Gàidhlig sna h-Eileanan ann an 1986. Tha an aithris seo aig Ruaraidh Rothach.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Chlann-sgoile Bhun-sgoil Bhreascleit ann an deagh fhonn an-diugh, ’s iad a’ comharrachadh 30 bliadhna bhon a chaidh a’ chiad ionad Gàidhlig sna h-Eileanan an Iar a stèidheachadh an seo. An-diugh cha mhòr nach eil foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig ri fhaotainn sa h-uile coimhearsnachd sna h-Eileanan an Iar, ach dè cho cudromach ‘s a bha a’ chiad cheum seo?
[Uilleam Dòmhnallach] Uill tha a’ chiad cheum ann an turas sam bith uabhasach cudromach agus feumaidh tu sìol a chur. Agus ’s e seo caran a’ chiad ghràinean sìl a chaidh a chur agus tha mi smaoineachadh, an obair a chaidh a dhèanamh agus na daoine a bha an lùib na h-obrach aig an àm sin, tro Van Leer 's iad 'sin, gur e sin an obair bu chudromaiche a bh’ ann riamh airson, mura b’e na daoine sin cha bhiodh dad againn an-diugh. Faodaidh daoine gearain nach eil sinn a’ dèanamh an adhartais a bu chòir dhuinn ach tha sinn air adhartas mòr a dhèanamh agus cumaidh sinn ris an obair.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Am measg nan ciad sgoilearan anns a’ chiad chlas sin bha guth agus aghaidh air a bheil mòran eòlach – Alasdair Friseal.
[Alasdair Friseal] Mura bithinn’s air foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a dhèanamh cha bhithinn air obair a shireadh ann an craoladh no mar fhear-naidheachd. Thòisich mi le bhith ag obair san t-seòmar naidheachd aig BBC Alba ann an Inbhir Nis agus fhuair mi an obair sin air sgàth ‘s gu robh mi fileanta agus gu robh mi air foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a dhèanamh. Agus tha iomadh cothrom air a thighinn às an sin chun an latha an-diugh.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Cha deigheadh duine às àicheadh an adhartas a chaidh a dhèanamh sna 30 bliadhna a dh’ fhalbh. Ach dè an ro-innleachd a th’ aig Comhairle nan Eilean Siar gus foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a chumail aig ìre agus a leasachadh anns na bliadhnaichean a tha romhainn?
[An Comh Catriona Stiùbhart] Chan eil mòran sgoiltean air fhàgail a-nis far nach fhaigh thu cothrom a dhol tro foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, ’s tha sinn a’ feuchainn ri sin a neartachadh a h-uile bliadhna. Agus mar a tha sin a’ dol air adhart tha pàrantan agus a’ choimhearsnachd a’ faicinn cho soirbheachail ‘s a tha an dòigh foghlaim tha seo dhan chloinn. .
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ruaraidh Rothach, BBC An Là, Breasclete.
[Donald Morrison] 30 years of Gaelic Medium Education was being celebrated today at Breasclete Primary School. It was in that primary school that the first Gaelic Medium Unit opened on the islands in 1986. Roddy Munro has this report.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Breasclete Primary School children in good voice today as they celebrate 30 years since the first Gaelic Medium Unit on the Western Isles was set up here. Today Gaelic Medium Education is available in almost every community in the Western Isles, but how important was this first step?
[William MacDonald] Well the first step in any journey is very important and you have to plant seed. And this was, in a way, the first grains of seed to be planted and I think that if it wasn’t for the work carried out by the people involved at that time, through Van Leer most importantly of all, that we would have nothing today. People can complain that we’re not making the progress we should be but we have made great progress and we’ll keep on with the work.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Among the first pupils in that class was a voice and a face many will recognise – Alasdair Fraser.
[Alasdair Fraser] If I hadn’t been through Gaelic Medium Education I wouldn’t have sought work in broadcasting or as a journalist. I started working in the BBC Alba newsroom in Inverness and I got that job because I was fluent and had been through Gaelic Medium Education. And many opportunities have come from that to this day.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Nobody can deny the progress made in the past 30 years. But what strategy do the Western Isles Council have to maintain the standard of Gaelic Medium Education and to develop it in the years to come?
[Cllr Catriona Stewart] There aren’t many schools left now that don’t offer Gaelic Medium Education and we’re trying to build on that that each year. And as we progress parents and communities see how successful this form of education is for the children.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Roddy Munro, BBC An Là, Breasclete.