The findings of my audit reveal that while elements of Scots culture are routinely celebrated in different ways throughout BGE, Scots language is not celebrated in the same way. Overall, the main exposure to Scots language comes mainly through learning and reciting poetry at key 'national celebrations' during the year.

I think Linda Bruce's summary that "Scots is still very much presented ideologically as optional, extra, additional, and nice to have" (Slide 19 Notes) neatly summarises the current attitude towards Scots language within my secondary school. I think this is also impacted by the wider community in which there is not a large number of native Scots speakers. This also reflects Linda Bruce’s observation that resources available for learning Scots are minimal (ibid).

However, moving forward, I think that the existing celebration of Scottish culture will provide an important bridge in teaching Scots as I can use that celebration to promote an interest in better understanding the language.

I am part of the central team for a local authority. The LA has received some criticism regarding its provision of GME and there has been some significant work on this by Officers and Teachers within the Authority. This has seen some requests from Councillors and associated Committee responses.  Even with this, the support from the LA is centred around a single officer, for whom this is one of many competing priorities. Part of this has also shown that reporting lines and responsibilities have not been clear and this still remains in a state of flux.  This focus on Gaelic cannot be seen to have taken away a focus from Scots however, as there is none.  

As part of committee reporting, I was made aware that prior to lockdown there was a previous Scots framework to support progression.  This framework proved illusive, partly due to changing members of the central team and also due to changing remits of the team. Luckily an officer had kept a paper copy and shared this - with a single member. To all intents and purposes then - we do not have an agreed approach to Scots or even an approach at all.

Our settings each take their own approaches to L1, 2, 3.  These include Modern Foreign Languages - usually French, Spanish and some German. We also have settings using Mandarin. Some settings are looking to Makaton and BSL.  Very few schools are using Scots/Doric.

To audit then - 

• No agreed authority approach
• No agreed consistent approach to Scots
• No current CLPL 

Strengths:

• willingness of individual central officers and some school teams
• local active learning - ie Riverbank school and the Doric book the Scurry

Challenges:

• Priorities/NIF
• Local understanding
• How to make things easy for schools, support them and also build up LA understanding and joy in Scots

“…being Scottish is more than just a matter of nationality or place of origin or clan or even culture. It is also a state of mind, a way of viewing the world and our place in it.”

― Arthur Herman, How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World and Everything In It

The results of my baseline audit for my school showed that while Scots is taught only as a part of a stand-alone block, it is taught every week and involves creative writing, reading for pleasure and listening skills. My school group has a robust and ambitious Scots Language Policy but is a very small school (roll of 30)  and, having a focus on improving attainment for learners in a small rural school, teaches Scots under the umbrella of the SLA, Scotland in Focus, and English – Scottishness in Context courses (all SCQF Level 3-5).

To extract a meaningful conclusion from this is tricky- perhaps best paraphrased as “yes, we teach it, but instrumentally and not as a substantive linguistic subject”. This oblique and inadequate pedagogy perpetuates the client-language status of Scots in my view and is a good example of the way Scots is “damned with faint praise” through well- meaning but diffuse and under- supported course offerings.    

Specific Issues- Non-standardisation and gatekeeping/facilitating

Part of the issue of teaching Scots is cognitive dissonance- the vertiginous feeling that you are imbalanced by a new reality in which the rules are shifting and unclear. Without codification nobody knows if they are “doing it right”. The otherness of scots is potentially very useful but it needs a delivery system that is credible, and I feel the present approach is nowhere close to what the SLB 2024 requires. .

A student in a Scots language award class, doing an audit of prior knowledge asked me, after the inevitable “ayes and naws - “sir, how aboot bawbag – is that ok?” (general hilarity) My instinct was “that’s slang” but then “actually, no it isn’t”. Well how do you know and teach the difference? A semantic abyss then opened …without a Corpus or established grammar and examples that are taught and applied…how on earth can you teach anything? It’s linguistic anarchy and not in a good way-it takes a while before you settle into the facilitator role that can address attainment. rather than trying to gatekeep (The term I opted for to describe this is “Leid-yett”) a language that is as fluid as the norther lights themselves. Another paradox here is that I see myself as a linguistic constructivist- and here I am asking for the development of pre-programmed linguistic structures to be embedded in Scots Language/Lit courses. 

There are issues of Canon and voice- if we are trying to get Scots taught as a relevant language with a canon of literature as valid as that of other languages then one issue I noted is the need to dispel the curse of DC Thomson : that overly performative  Lauderism -which is  a kind of defanged variant of the very useful  stage “oirishness” in Irish Lit The newly updated SQA Scottish text options represent real  progress but there’s so much more to do( as an example I recently read Tom Newland’s “Only Here, only Now” and thought “get this in the classroom immediately! Our young learners need to be able to see viable representations of themselves that are not filtered by others.

Rare as hen’s teeth

If you ask language teachers how much progress you could make on 1 hour a week, they will tell you that will give very slow or no progress- it’s the same with Scots. To have one hour weekly timetabled to do Scots, with two other courses taught under English with NO free class time to give them is an example of the chasm between viable Scots Language Provision and what we presently have: “whisky- flavoured fudge”. Scots must move from being tartan tapas to becoming daily fare.

A State of mind

Not to venture too far into the mire of literary theory, Scots linguistic identity is a cat’s cradle of factors and is  promiscuously valent to interpretation  and I tend to accept a version of  Sapir-Whorf  wherein  the way we think is affected by the languages we have learned . Most Scots are unwittingly multilingual and acknowledging this would be a major boon to out self-esteem. Also, the process of reterritorialization and reconstructing Scots culture involves renovating a culture which has become double- marginalised as globalisation has eroded the discrete cultural identities of our world. Scots needs to metastasise in the same manner that Irish culture has and that requires adequately staffed and funded supportive structures, curricular offerings, programs, grants and outreach.

Synopsis- Appreciate the gains made but real systems, real teaching materials, realistic curricular and timetable commitments, professional specialisation and less lip-service needed to consolidate and develop these.

The following staff members were invited to complete the audit:

• Class Cleaner
• Janitor
• Lead Canteen Staff Member
• Teaching Colleague (Primary)
• Teaching Colleague (ELC)
• Support Assistant
• Head Teacher
• Deputy Head Teacher
• Myself!

Results (by question)

1. How is Scots delivered in your school? Teaching staff, Management and ELC staff answered this question.  Other staff reported that they did not know. Of those who were able to answer, it was a mixed response, showing that we, as a school, use a combination of (a) As an integrated part of Literacy
   (b) As a stand- alone block
   (c) As part of an IDL topic
   (d) As a one-off lesson
2. How often is Scots Language taught in your school? The same staff members were able to answer this question. Again, we saw a combination of(a) Once a year
   (b) One week a year
   (c) Between 3 and 6 weeks of the year.
3. What Scots Language activities are planned and delivered in your school? This question was answered by those above, as well as support staff. I am happy to say that staff said that examples of all of the activities listed were covered in some way in some classes, although not all activities were covered in all classes.
4.  Does your school have a Scots policy? Only teaching staff, management staff and ELC staff answered this question.  We do not, as yet, have a dedicated Scots Language Policy.

So, what did this audit flag up?  

Inconsistencies across the school!  All teaching staff covered some aspects of the Scots Language through reading aloud from each class' dedicated Scots Text in their Class Reading Spines, learning and reciting Scots poetry, reading for pleasure (each class becomes guardians of a special old suitcase filled with Broons and Oor Wullie annuals, chosen by staff, who add a label about why the chose that one, Scots Hoose magazines, websites such as Scots Hoose Yaldi etc.) Some classes include writing in Scots and the younger classes and ELC sing Scots songs.  We have had several visits form a Scots author, who led workshops and a whole school assembly on different occasions. We are even going to be in the latest edition of Scots Hoose magazine so we are chuffed about that! My class are also learning Scots versions of some nineties rock songs for their class assembly about William Wallace, which is also mostly written in some form of Scots!  (don't judge me; I am a learner!) I think we need to have a look at a few examples of Scots Language Policies from other schools and take it from there to ensure consistency, challenge and breadth of learning across the school.  Staff attitudes were positive regarding the teaching of Scots, although those staff not directly involved in teaching children  did not feel that they were in a position to answer the questions.

I had very few responses to my questionnaires which in itself is telling unfortunately... Looking at the the results, there were huge difference between delivery of Scots/Dialect. The infant teacher who is local to the area has fully incorporated dialect into the P1/2 curriculum, compared to up the school where it was very much taught as a stand alone topic. 

Secondary do a stand alone unit on Shetland in S1, no Scots taught at all. Teacher is very passionate about using Shetland dialect and pupils are encouraged to write their folio pieces in dialect however was quite negative about the use of Scots in N5 when it’s not spoken in Shetland. 

We don't have a Scots language policy and I want to promote Scots/ Shetland dialect in particular. We have a mix of Shetland and Scots teachers in the Primary so it’s an ideal area to develop. I feel that it would be beneficial to look at the whole curriculum and see where to incorporate dialect and Scots more naturally and have a progression of learning from nursery to secondary. We have so many resources on our doorstep but it’s having the time to do it right, which we don't have.

Scots language is mostly included as part of IDL with some stand alone lessons linking literacy. We have over 50 staff in our school, with a Nursery, Primary and Secondary department,  a large proportion speak dialect as do a large proportion of our students.  In days gone by, it would have been common for Shetlanders to ‘knapp’ -  dilute their native tongue – as instructed. However this is much less apparent now, as long as all in the school environment are understanding.  Case in point, our Janitor reported there was a bit of a ‘Callyshang’ in the canteen  – not a word often used by younger pupils but it was a good discussion point (for many reasons!). It is interesting to note that when they have been out on trips outwith our immediate community it has been commented on (in a positive way) how ‘broad spoken’ some of our young people are.  There is no doubt that this stems from home primarily, however peers are also an influencing factor and, most certainly, how speaking Shetland is perceived.  Although the majority have Shetland links, some families have come to stay due to work and have integrated well into the community with a few who have English as their second language also picking up commonly heard Shetland words and phrases.

We have a very large rural catchment area with many interested in agriculture and fishing, which is another contributory factor to exposure to Shetland with a wealth of dialect words used in both industries. Our school is now the local authority centre for Rural Studies which is an optional qualification available to S3 and S4 students and Primary pupils can participate in ‘peerie makkers’ an intergenerational knitting initiative, which reintroduced knitting into Shetland schools with the help of volunteers from the community as funding for knitting instructors stopped many years ago. 

I hadn’t realised until embarking on this course that there was actually a recognised Scots Language Award qualification, although it was noted that numbers are small at present, mighty oaks from little acorns grow  as they say, hopefully there will be scope for expansion as many students do take pride and perhaps don’t recognise the great skill they have in this field.  As with all things, I understand this will no doubt ultimately come down to funding.  It has been great to see a collection of Shetland dialect songs added to Glow and shared with all Shetland school staff.  We also have the local group Shetland ForWirds and their website is a great resource for all ages and stages and a limited number of class sets of novels by local authors. 

There is no quantifiable amount of Scots language taught as is very much at the discretion of class teachers.  In a way it is a bit like Health and Well Being outcomes, often being woven into the tasks during the day.  This has benefits as it is not crow-barred in and feels natural but the down side is that there is inconsistency.  At present and quite unusually, all our Primary teachers are native dialect speakers so are confident in speaking and  teaching Shetland/Scots. As there are many different dialects within Shetland, we have quite a spread even within our own staff, which may sound relatively similar with perhaps alternate vowel or sometimes completely different such as spaegie/hansper/creeks (muscle soreness or stiffness due to over exertion).  

I found the idea of internalised censorship interesting and It made me wonder if perhaps I do this more than I’d first considered and having spoken to colleagues of a similar age, this seems to be a commonality due to lived experience in school and also University.  In reading the CfE briefing paper (17) on Scots language, in particular 3. Is Scots really sufficiently different in terms of vocabulary and grammar to be considered a ‘language’, and taught as such? Where they use the comparison of Scandinavian languages noting that it is understood but and is equally important to know the differences and when you may wish to use one rather than the other.  It did make me wonder if Swedes think Danish a lesser language or vice-vera?  I have seen jokes to that effect in Nordic noir tv programmes, and know well that some have felt belittled speaking Scots/Shetland. Grammar is particularly interesting as there can be a marked difference between how things are said when speaking Shetland than in English which can be unfortunately be perceived as bad grammar or associated with lower academic ability. I have even heard of first hand accounts this year of students in lectures at a Scottish University feeling undermined for speaking in Scots.

Scots/Shetland could and is used within our Literacy progression framework effectively but again it is ad hoc.  There are also opportunities when teaching other languages e.g. French to make comparisons (for example Tu in French is used in the same way we would use Du in Shetland) which backs up the research evidence that learning another language can foster a deeper understanding of your own language and assist cognitive skills.   We have no specific Scots policy, perhaps with the recent Scots language bill there will be change.  Certainly, in doing the audit, while I feel there’s much good work taking place, consistency is an issue worth giving careful consideration as well as wider promotion of Scots/Shetland and recognising its worth.

Scots Language in my context tends to be taught in stand-alone blocks.  We do attempt to celebrate 'Doric Week', have a Scots poetry unit on the S1 timeline, and have delivered the Scots Language Award at Level 4.  It may not be taught quite as often as once a month, but probably more than 3-6 weeks across the year.  We definitely engage in learning poetry (perhaps less in terms of traditional reciting), the creation of our own Scots Language texts, and reading for pleasure and info in Scots, with some listening and dictionary skills being incorporated at times.  However, there is no specific Scots Language policy that I am aware of.  

Views on teaching Scots seem to be largely positive, with acknowledgement of the increased engagement and accessibility factors.  Some drivers appear to be more cynical in nature though, with the Scots Language Award being treated as merely an add-on currently, delivered as an extra on completion of National 4 English - with a view to obtaining an additional qualification for pupils and topping up our tariff points.  I feel positive that there is at least an effort to value local dialect and reduce any stigma or shame surrounding its use.  There was certainly less celebration of my own local tongue when I was at school, and a feeling that broad accents needed to be toned down, particularly in academic spheres, to be successful.  If teaching Scots helps our young people feel seen, and increases pride in their local area and its importance, rather than feeling 'less than', then surely it can only be a good thing? 

I found it sad that one of Linda Bruce's research candidates felt advocating for Scots online brought hate.  I think most people in my context would be supportive of more Scots teaching, but understand that there can be reticence around a lack of standardisation, and a fear of not doing it justice due to time constraints and conflicting priorities.

Sorry, one day late- the flu caught me properly through the week! 

I do not have a huge amount to add, as I am in the same school as Jamie and Stewart, and am also- like Stewart- greatly influenced by Paolo Freire. 

I was delighted when I learned that Scots has its place in my school; however, there is still work to be done in the ASL department that I am part of. I mainly audited with fellow ASL colleagues, and we are in the process of planning a significant higher input of Scots, in the Nurture provision, as well as in the Learning Hub (supported learning). 

I have always been an advocate on promoting "native" languages; be it Plattdeutsch in Northern Germany, where I am originally from, or Irish- having friends from Ireland who teach Irish in the six counties, telling me about the joys and challenges.

I am looking forward to possibly meeting up with Jamie and/or Stewart in the near future, to implement some more Scots in ASL.