Teacher - Secondary School - Gaelic
Teach and inspire the next generation of Gaelic speakers.
About the job
A day in the life – Gaelic secondary school teacher
What it's like
As a Gaelic language secondary teacher, you’d educate and inspire the next generation of Gaelic speakers. Gaelic education has experienced growth each year since it began in the 1980s and you’d play a vital role in teaching young people about this important part of Scottish culture.
You would teach young people from 11 to 18 years old, in public and private schools. Preparing and giving lessons in Gaelic you’d develop their skills in talking, listening, reading and writing in the Gaelic language. You’d teach and support students with different abilities and prepare them for their National Qualifications and Highers in this subject.
There is national guidance for Curriculum for Excellence Modern Languages and National Qualifications, which you would use when planning your teaching.
As well as teaching, you’d also attend meetings and regular in-service training courses as part of your professional development. You’d work closely with colleagues to plan the school’s timetables, and work with other professionals, such as education psychologists and social workers.
What you might do
Prepare lesson plans
Assess students’ progress and mark their work
Set homework
Manage behaviour in the classroom
Discuss students’ progress with parents and carers
Organise study trips, social activities and sports events
Hours
Teachers work 39 weeks a year, usually from 9am to 3.30pm or 4pm. You're likely to spend some hours outside of this planning lessons, marking pupils' work and taking part in training and parent evenings.
Environment
Secondary school teachers may be based classroom but from time to time may have to carry books and equipment between rooms.
Travel
You could do supply teaching where you work in different schools to cover the absences of permanent teachers, which would involve some travel.
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Top skills
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It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- gaelic language
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- mentoring
- ethical
- time management
- developing a plan
- social conscience
- creative
- written communication
- verbal communication
- mediating
- positive attitude
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Modern Languages
English
Gaelic (Learners)
Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you’ll need.
To qualify as a secondary school teacher of Gaelic, you must have a degree in Gaelic or Celtic (specialising in Scottish Gaelic) plus a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE)
OR
BA (Honours) degree in Gaelic with Education offered by the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) at Sabhal Mor Ostaig and Lews Castle College UHI.
Your degree must contain 80 SCQF points in Gaelic or in Celtic (specialising in Scottish Gaelic), and 40 of these points must have been studied at SCQF Level 8 (second year undergraduate level) or above.
For qualified teachers who already have an intermediate level of Gaelic, such as Higher Gaelic, the University of Strathclyde run a course called ‘Gaelic Immersion for Teachers’ – It has been designed to help teachers transfer to Gaelic-medium classrooms. For entry, you would be selected by your local authority and attend a week-long taster session. You should already be qualified to teach in Scotland (full GTCS registration), and have intermediate level Gaelic such as Higher Gaelic or equivalent.
While not all employers list specific qualification requirements they do ask for relevant (usually work based) experience that demonstrates a range of transferable skills.
Qualifications and experience that demonstrate the ability to work with children or young people would also be helpful.
As a teacher, you'll need to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme.
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