GLASGOW CITY

Glasgow City



Glasgow City

Part 1

What can you say about the identities of the people of Glasgow City, based on the evidence in Tables 1, 2 and 3?

Glasgow is taking up the challenge to raise the profile of Gaelic in our city in order to help safeguard the future of the language. The 2001 Census shows the difficulties facing Gaelic; just 58,652 people said they understand, speak, read or write Gaelic; this represents only 1.2% of the country's population. However, the Census also showed that the rate of decline in the language had slowed and that the number of speakers in younger age groups had actually risen. (Pointer 2007:15-20)

Under the 2005 Act, Bòrd na Gàidhlig can ask public bodies to prepare Gaelic Language Plans. This is to help the public sector in Scotland play its part in creating a sustainable future for Gaelic by raising its status and profile and creating practical opportunities for its use.

Glasgow is Scotland's largest city and a key centre for commerce, industry, retail and increasingly, tourism, with nearly three million visitors each year. The city has a population of 581,000 within a wider metropolitan area of 1.7 million people. It is Scotland's most multi-cultural city. At the 2001 Census, 5.5% of our residents were from black and ethnic-minority communities. In recent years people moving to the city from abroad through Glasgow's Asylum Seeker programme and through migration from countries joining the European Union such as Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, have boosted our population by an estimated 10,000.

The Scottish Government's Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) shows that Glasgow continues to have the largest number of deprived local areas. Over a quarter of the city's working-age residents (26%) claim a benefit such as Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Incapacity Benefit or Lone Parents Benefit or other income-related benefits; this compares to 17% across Scotland. The employment rates for disabled residents, black and ethnic-minority residents, young people (aged 16 to 19) and those aged over 50 are all significantly below the Glasgow average. Many adults have low levels of skills and a high percentage of residents (21%) have no qualifications, especially those aged 50 to retirement age. (Pointer 2007:15-20)

The current economic down-turn is already affecting the city in terms of inward investment and employment. Many of the city's large developments have been delayed or are no longer going ahead. Between February 2008 and February 2009, the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance rose by 41%, to 20,265. Between January and February 2009, there has been a 10.6% increase in the number of people claiming JSA. The Council, however, is working to lessen the effects of the recession.

Glasgow City Council recognises that, for the Gaelic language to thrive, people need more opportunity to actually speak the language, including using Gaelic in an increasingly wide range of daily activities. Indeed, we know from a recent survey of our Adult Gaelic Learners that attendance at the classes is the only opportunity for many to speak Gaelic with other ...