Scottish Languages Bill (Scots version) - Gaelic and Scots commitments: consultation analysis

Introduction

1.1 Owerview

This report sets oot an analysis o the public consultation stairtit up by the Scots Government. The consultation process fordered through Citizen Space luiks at fower significant commitments the Scots Government has makkit tae uphaud the Gaelic and Scots leids. Thir commitments are:

• tae set oot a new strategic approach tae Gaelic Medium Education
• tae luik intae the makkin o a Gàidhealtachd
• tae review the structure and functions o Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and
• tae uphaud the Scots leid

The commitment tae a Scots Languages Bill is the legislative vehicle tae allou progress wi thir commitments whaur chynges need primary legislation. The consultation speired 13 open-endit questions. The consultation steyed open frae 24 August tae 8 December 2022. Respondents includit the follaein; Pre Schuil sector and uisers, schuil parents, pupils and staff (athort nursery, primary and secondary sectors), staff and students in ither educational establishments includin the tertiary sector, stakehauder groups (sic as trade unions, local government, parent groups, etc.), think tanks and academics wirkin in Gaelic research and Scots, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and bodies that receive fundin through Bòrd na Gàidhlig, memmers o the Gaelic spikkin communities in rural and urban areas wi views on how the leid should be uised and bieldit faurer, Scots leid bodies and ither memmers o the public.

For aw consultation questions, some responses were mair detailed and descriptive than ithers. This report luiks at the qualitative findins for the fower commitments and aw thirteen questions. A total o 750 responses were received via Citizen Space. In this first analysis, we set furth the figures on the respondent category, nummer o responses received for ilka question, maist common responses, and descriptive analysis uisin respondent quotations.

1.2 Methodology

We stairtit oor analysis wi data cleanin. The responses were gaithert frae Citizen Space and directly uised in the form o an Excel database. We left oot tuim, incomplete, or duplicate responses frae oor database in oor first data review.

For the analysis, we exportit the database tae oor analysis tool, Dovetail App and categorised the data uisin codes for the responses. Responses for ilka question were luikt ower tentily and ilka ane gied a code for its meanin. We pit thegither the codes for ilka question and luikt ower aw 750 responses. We hae mairked oot the maist common themes and less common themes separately. In the qualitative insichts section, we uised direct quotations frae respondents tae add mair depth for the reader.

Tae mak siccar o quality control, twa researchers frae oor team cross-checked the responses tae mak siccar that the categories and codes reflectit the critical pynts that a response wis makkin. Last o aw, we maun

hielicht that we hae ettled at cairryin oot this analysis objectively and siccarly. Nane o the responses set oot ablow reflects ony o the researchers’ opinions. We hae bided impartial and unbiased throughoot this analysis.

1.3 Report Structure

The analysis ablow kythes the range o answers received frae respondents for ilka question. There wis repetition and duplication in some responses for aw questions. The descriptions o the findins in Section 2 (Consultation Findins) categorise the responses in the follaein weys:

• Maist common themes: Thir responses hae a hie frequency o mair than or equal tae 50. Thir themes micht include a mixter-maxter o responses frae aw questions ben the mair muckle thematic categories o Gaelic Medium Education, Gàidhealtachd, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and Scots Leid.
• Less common themes: Thir responses hae a low frequency or were mentioned ilka noo and then. Thir micht range atween 1 tae 50.

In Section 3, we hae includit the feedback received on the consultation process and the Citizen Space platform. At the end o the report, graphs includit as annexes visually show the frequency o major themes and tags identified durin the analysis. For ilka thematic area, i.e. Gaelic Medium Education, Gàidhealtachd, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and Scots Leid, graphs set oot the frequency o specified tags based on aw questions unner the respective theme.

1.4 Terms of Reference

The terms, ‘Gaelic’ and ‘Scots’, refer tae leids spoken in Scotland. For the purpose o this report, Scots is bein referred tae as ‘Scots Leid’ tae mak siccar o linguistic coherence (as taen forrit frae the consultation form/questions). As statit in the introduction abuin and analysis ablow, the Scots Government ettles tae forder forrit baith Gaelic and Scots leids in Scotland through the Scots Languages Bill – wi a focus on increasin the nummer o fowk lairnin, spikkin and uisin thir leids in Scotland.