SLC's Activism and Politics Pages

The Activism and Politics pages on the Scots Language Centre's wabsite has been rejiggit a bittie. There a page o links tae orra documents and organisations and, on sindry ither pages, ye can keep up whit wir MSPs is sayin and speirin anent Scots.

The link abuin will tak ye tae the pages in English; tae see them in Scots, ye hae tae click on the reid "Show content as Scots" button in the tap richt o yer browser (let's cry it a "stravaiger") and navigate back throu the "Promoting Scots" tab tae the Activism and Politics section.

Is Chynge A-Comin?

Weil is it no a whilie sin I postit here! There a fair bittie gaun on in the Scots warld for us tae catch up on. The Scots Govrenment has decidit tae haud an audit o provision for the language. There no muckle information at the link, but the maist encouragin bit for onybody that's interestit in Scots is this:

Research is therefore required to ... identify potential opportunities to expand provision, either as part of, or in addition to, the manifesto commitments the Scottish Government has given for Scots.

We'll hae tae wait an see whit comes o yon. Hit will be the first Govrenmental research intae the state o Scots that I ken o, and it comes efter the Meinister for Schuils and Skeels, Maureen Watt, telt a meetin o the Cross-Pairty Group on Scots that there nae siller for a Macpherson report for Scots.

Forby the audit, whit comes fae the office o the Meinister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, the Maureen Watt, wis writin in the Sunday Herald a week or twa syne that schuilbairns shuid hae the chance tae learn Scots: It is important that Scots is considered no less valuable than other languages.

Through the Curriculum for Excellence, we want to ensure pupils are exposed to the literature and languages of Scotland by teachers using relevant, real-life and enjoyable resources. ...

the Scottish government is committed to promoting and developing the use of the Scots language - where better to start than in our schools?

Now is the time for the children of Scotland to rediscover Scots.

Shairly aabody that cares aboot Scots will welcome thae words.

The Poetry o Ma Ain, Ma Native Land

I hae juist the nou pitten ma entry for the McCash Poetry Competition in an envelope. I dinnae normally get ma competition entries in that aheid o time, but I'm awa neist week ower the deidline. It juist happenit that I had ae-twae ideas in ma heid that fittit in wi the competition's theme when I seen the announcement in The Herald a whilie syne. Yon wis a piece o guid fortune I hivnae had afore wi this competition. The last time it happenit wis wi the poetry postcaird competition for national poetry day in 2002, an I wis yin o the winners yon time. I'm pretty cantie wi the poems I'm sendin in, but we'll see whether they get onywhaur!

The theme is "This is my own, my native land," a line fae Walter Scott's lang narrative poem, "The Lay of the Last Minstrel". It seems a bittie queer-like that a Scots poetry competition shuid tak a quotation in English for its theme, whaiver wrote it, but it's a guid subject tae get fowk screivin aboot at a sic time o muckle political chynge.

Speakin o the political chynge, there nae dout in ma mind that hit has led tae a shift in the atmosphere o Scotland. Ither fowk's sayin the yae thing and I hae anecdotal evidence: I wis bletherin wi a frein that wirks in the Pairlament's education service a day or twa syne, an she tellt me that, since the election, there aye queues for tickets for tae get in and see the Pairlament in action, even for debates ither nor First Meinister's quaistions. It's a hale ither quaistion gif this confidence, interest an momentum will bide or dwine and dee, but wi The Herald gettin a forum anent the constitutional future o the nation roadit and giein it's poetry competition ower tae discussion whaur we are the nou as a kintrae, I'm hopefu it'll bide a bittie.

Draft Culture (Scotland) Bill

The Scottish Executive has publishit its draft Culture (Scotland) Bill for consultation. This merks an important juncture for airts and culture policy in Scotland, but The Scotsman reports that James Boyle, the heid o the Cultural Commission that the Executive set up tae draw up a vision for Scotland's cultural policy, is no at aw canty with the draft bill. Likewise, The Herald's report and editorial willnae be canty readin for them at Victoria Quay. A wee tait o a contrast wi the warm words on the Executive's ain site.