Primary Education with Gaelic

Primary education with Gaelic for learners prepares you to teach across the full primary age range, from early years through upper primary, while also developing your ability to teach in Gaelic-medium settings or to support the Gaelic language among children who are learning it. Primary teaching is a profession that demands intellectual breadth, strong interpersonal skills, deep knowledge of child development, and the capacity to make complex ideas accessible to young learners across every area of the curriculum. The Gaelic dimension reflects the particular importance Scotland places on sustaining and growing its indigenous language through education.

At the University of Edinburgh, this five-year full-time programme leads to the Bachelor of Education qualification and the professional skills needed for registration as a teacher in Scotland with the General Teaching Council for Scotland. You will study child development, curriculum design, pedagogy, and classroom practice across all the major subjects of the primary curriculum, including mathematics, literacy, science, the arts, and social studies. Gaelic is developed in parallel, from learner level to a standard that allows you to teach curriculum content through the medium of Gaelic, which is in growing demand in Scottish schools.

Substantial school placement experience is woven throughout the degree. A typical entry tariff of 184 points reflects the competitive and professionally significant nature of the qualification.

Graduates are qualified to teach in Scottish primary schools, including Gaelic-medium provision, and the shortage of teachers with this combination of qualifications makes them particularly sought after. Career progression within teaching leads to principal teacher, head teacher, and local authority advisory roles. The Gaelic specialism also opens opportunities in community education, Gaelic media, and the broader cultural sector.

Many graduates develop long-term careers in education across Scotland, including in communities where Gaelic remains a living language of daily life.