Issue - meetings

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to agree in principle to implement a catchment area for the existing Gaelic Medium Education provision at Hazlehead Academy, as defined within Map A in the consultation report at Appendix 1 of this report, with effect from 1 August 2023;

(ii)       to agree in principle to implement a catchment area for the existing Gaelic Medium Education provision at Gilcomstoun School, as defined within Map B in the consultation report at Appendix 1 of this report, with effect from 1 August 2023; and

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services, in conjunction with the Chief Officer - Finance to identify a source of appropriate funding  for the cost of providing free school transport to the Gaelic Medium Education provisions at Hazlehead Academy and Gilcomstoun School for those pupils eligible to receive it, and to report back to the July meeting of this Committee for further consideration of implementation of the catchment areas referred to in recommendations (i) and (ii) above.

With reference to article 14 of the minute of the meeting of the Education Operational Delivery Committee of 8 September 2022, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which detailed the outcome of a recent statutory public consultation on the proposal to create catchment areas for the existing Gaelic Medium Education (GME) provisions at Hazlehead Academy and Gilcomstoun School.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      agree to implement a catchment area for the existing Gaelic Medium Education provision at Hazlehead Academy, as defined within Map A in the consultation report at Appendix 1 of this report, with effect from 1 April 2024;

(b)      agree to implement a catchment area for the existing Gaelic Medium Education provision at Gilcomstoun School, as defined within Map B in the consultation report at Appendix 1 of this report, with effect from 1 April 2024; and

(c)      agree to refer the matter to the budget setting process for 2024/25, for the establishment of a budget to fund the cost of providing free school transport to the Gaelic Medium Education provisions at Hazlehead Academy and Gilcomstoun School, for those pupils eligible to receive it.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to agree in principle to implement a catchment area for the existing Gaelic Medium Education provision at Hazlehead Academy, as defined within Map A in the consultation report at Appendix 1 of this report, with effect from 1 August 2023;

(ii)       to agree in principle to implement a catchment area for the existing Gaelic Medium Education provision at Gilcomstoun School, as defined within Map B in the consultation report at Appendix 1 of this report, with effect from 1 August 2023; and

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services, in conjunction with the Chief Officer - Finance to identify a source of appropriate funding  for the cost of providing free school transport to the Gaelic Medium Education provisions at Hazlehead Academy and Gilcomstoun School for those pupils eligible to receive it, and to report back to the July meeting of this Committee for further consideration of implementation of the catchment areas referred to in recommendations (i) and (ii) above.