Fourth live expert session in the Gaelic Education Hub with Dr Sarah MacQuarrie

Our fourth live expert session in the Gaelic Education Hub of the Centre for Teaching Excellence will be an opportunity to hear from Dr Sarah MacQuarrie, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology of Education at the University of Manchester, whose research addresses knowledge equity and inclusive realities in education, with a focus on ensuring equal access to learning opportunities and resources for minority language learners. 

Scotland’s education policy positions Gaelic-medium pupils to acquire Gaelic, English, and an additional modern language. However, this progressive framework masks a critical infrastructure gap: the near-complete absence of culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment tools to identify language difficulties in Gaelic learners.

This presentation will examine assessment limitations, synthesise available research, and argue that developing robust, Gaelic-specific diagnostic tools constitutes an educational equity issue requiring immediate attention to ensure all bilingual learners receive appropriate identification and support.

The session will be delivered in English.

These events are designed for professionals working in Scottish education. When registering, please use a school, local authority, Glow, or other professional email address connected to your role. If you do not have access to one of these, you are welcome to get in touch with us at  to allow us to confirm your place.

You can register for the event here.