THE number of children entering primary one in Gaelic medium education will have to double in the next six years to halt the decline in the language, it has been claimed.

Around 1000 older Gaelic speakers are estimated to die every year, making the language’s survival increasingly difficult, according to the second National Gaelic Language Plan.

The latest figures show that 400 pupils attend primary one in Scotland’s Gaelic medium schools but the plan, put out to consultation yesterday by the Scottish Government’s statutory language development agency Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said this would have to double to 800 in the next six years.

The agency underlined the importance of Gaelic in promoting bilingualism, which has been shown to be educationally advantageous in helping pupils to learn a broad range of other subjects.

Murdo MacIver, former director of education at North Lanarkshire Council and chair of the National Gaelic Education Strategy Steering Group, said yesterday: “Gaelic medium education is the only widely available opportunity to be educated bilingually in Scotland.

“Internationally, research has consistently confirmed the benefits of bilingualism in enhancing the life chances of young people. This is borne out in Scotland by independent research into educational performance of pupils in Gaelic medium education. We owe it to young people across the nation to allow more of them to access Gaelic medium education.”

Gaelic has been spoken for nearly 2000 years but the decline in the language has been dramatic. There were 250,000 Gaelic speakers in Scotland in 1891 but by the 2001 National Census the figure was 65,000.

However, the rate of decline slowed significantly in the 10 years from 1991, largely attributed to the growth of Gaelic medium pre-school and primary provision.

The plan’s headline targets are that the 2021 National Census confirms a continuing growth in the number of young people speaking Gaelic. By 2031, the plan hopes it will have reached the crucial replacement level. This is to be achieved by a 15% increase year-on-year in the number of children entering Gaelic medium education.

Half the people of the EU are bilingual, but in the UK the figure is 13%. In Scotland fewer than 1% of young people are bilingual in Gaelic and English, well behind the 7% of people in Ireland who are bilingual and the 21% Wales can boast.

Arthur Cormack, chair of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said: “This draft plan sets out an holistic approach to Gaelic development identifying the central role of Gaelic education and learning in securing growth and the ways in which the education system, homes, communities, arts, media and heritage can be supported to achieve our aims in terms of both growth and quality in language learning and use in years to come.”