Manx Language Officer, [Contact details redacted] Tynwald Committee; Education Bill 2020 August 6th 2020 Dear Chairperson and committee members, I am writing to you to express my concerns about the Education Bill, specifically the wording around the teaching of Manx Gaelic, (more traditionally known in English as Manx, or the Manx Language). I am a civil servant and my job title is ‘Manx Language Officer’. I have not been asked for any input at any stage of the drafting of the Bill. Having the read the draft bill online I did submit an opinion via my line manager on the 11th of Febraury 2019 to say that the proposed wording did not mention the Manx Language specifically. This was subsequently changed, but then I saw that the new wording of the curricular order in the latest draft was as follows: (3) The curriculum must, in particular, — (a) include education in religion, ethics and values, avoiding proselytising for any particular religion or religious approach; (b) include education about Manx Gaelic, Manx culture and Manx history; I was verbally assured that the word about in clause (b) would be changed to in, but the bill proceeded to its first reading without this change being made. In my opinion the prepositions in in clause (a) and about in clause (b) are in the wrong places. I did not, and will not, comment further on the implications of the wording education in religion, but I did raise my concerns about clause (b) with my line manager as soon as I saw the wording education about Manx Gaelic. I was verbally assured that this was a mistake and that it would be changed. Unfortunately, it was not. Education about the Manx Language is clearly not the same as teaching the language, and would jeopardise the teaching of Manx. If I had been consulted I would have drawn attention to two legislative instruments that would have at least maintained the wording around the teaching of Manx of the 2001 Act. In 1985 Tynwald passed a resolution “That Manx Gaelic should be supported and encouraged by all agencies of Government and Boards of Tynwald so far as they are practically able”. Also, in 2003, the United Kingdom, with the agreement of Tynwald, signed The Council of Europe’s European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages with Part Two protection level for the Manx Language (see Appendix 1). The 47 member Council of Europe was set up after the Second World War to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law, it is not a branch of the European Union and Brexit does not have any implications for commitment to the charter). Adherence to the charter is overseen by a ‘committee of experts’ who submit regular reports. The key objectives and principles of part two of the charter that you should be aware of is for “the provision of appropriate forms and means for the teaching and study of regional or minority languages at all appropriate stages”. I would therefore suggest that the wording of the new Education Act should be reflective of that objective, and either stay with the wording of the 2001 Act, or incorporate the wording of the Council of Europe Charter, which could be: (3) The curriculum must, in particular, — (b) include education about Manx culture and Manx History, and provide for the teaching and study of the Manx Language. In my role of Manx Language Officer I oversee the Manx Language Unit’s provision for the teaching of Manx in schools, and helping fluent speaking pupils maintain their fluency by teaching a limited number of lessons through the medium of Manx in years 7, 8 and 9. As there are no off-the- shelf resources for teaching Manx the team have to produce all teaching and testing materials to cater for pupils from those starting with no Manx in Year 4 to fluent speaking pupils in Year 13. Living in the Isle of Man in 2020, unless you go looking for Manx you might be oblivious to the vitality of the language. You will see Manx on signage, might hear an occassional phrase, or might know of someone who can speak the language. You will not ever be expected, or required to understand or speak Manx in general life. Manx speakers will almost always switch to English out of politeness if a non-Manx speaker is present. Nevertheless, there is a community of speakers on the Island of many hundreds of fluent speakers, and hundreds more less-fluent speakers, who love the Manx language and care deeply about its survival. There are also many people around the world who, because of government recognition of Manx, consider the Isle of Man as beacon of hope in world of cultural conformity. I have attached a history of the language (Appendix 2) to this submission which may be of interest as it provides some context for the decline and revival of the language, particularly in terms of legislation and education. I would be willing provide oral evidence in support of maintaining legislative protection for the teaching of Manx, rather than teaching about Manx, should that be required. Lhiuish lesh arrym, Rob Teare. Appendix 1. Extract of Part Two of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: The objectives and principles pursued in accordance with Article 2 are: 1. In respect of regional or minority languages, within the territories in which such languages are used and according to the situation of each language, the Parties shall base their policies, legislation and practice on the following objectives and principles: a. the recognition of the regional or minority languages as an expression of cultural wealth; b. the respect of the geographical area of each regional or minority language in order to ensure that existing or new administrative divisions do not constitute an obstacle to the promotion of the regional or minority language in question; c. the need for resolute action to promote regional or minority languages in order to safeguard them; d. the facilitation and/or encouragement of the use of regional or minority languages, in speech and writing, in public and private life; e. the maintenance and development of links, in the fields covered by this Charter, between groups using a regional or minority language and other groups in the State employing a language used in identical or similar form, as well as the establishment of cultural relations with other groups in the State using different languages; f. the provision of appropriate forms and means for the teaching and study of regional or minority languages at all appropriate stages; g. the provision of facilities enabling non-speakers of a regional or minority language living in the area where it is used to learn it if they so desire; h. the promotion of study and research on regional or minority languages at universities or equivalent institutions; i. the promotion of appropriate types of transnational exchanges, in the fields covered by this Charter, for regional or minority languages used in identical or similar form in two or more States. 2. The Parties undertake to eliminate, if they have not yet done so, any unjustified distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference relating to the use of a regional or minority language and intended to discourage or endanger the maintenance or development of it. The adoption of special measures in favour of regional or minority languages aimed at promoting equality between the users of these languages and the rest of the population or which take due account of their specific conditions is not considered to be an act of discrimination against the users of more widely-used languages. 3. The Parties undertake to promote, by appropriate measures, mutual understanding between all the linguistic groups of the country and in particular the inclusion of respect, understanding and tolerance in relation to regional or minority languages among the objectives of education and training provided within their countries and encouragement of the mass media to pursue the same objective. 4. In determining their policy with regard to regional or minority languages, the Parties shall take into consideration the needs and wishes expressed by the groups which use such languages. They are encouraged to establish bodies, if necessary, for the purpose of advising the authorities on all matters pertaining to regional or minority languages. 5. The Parties undertake to apply, mutatis mutandis, the principles listed in paragraphs 1 to 4 above to non- territorial languages. However, as far as these languages are concerned, the nature and scope of the measures to be taken to give effect to this Charter shall be determined in a flexible manner, bearing in mind the needs and wishes, and respecting the traditions and characteristics, of the groups which use the languages concerned. Appendix 2 A Brief History of the Manx Language Manx is a Goidelic language related to Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Celtic was spoken by iron-age tribes in large swathes of Europe in the pre-Roman era. Celtic of the pre-Roman era has been described by scholars as subdivided into ‘Continental Celtic’ and ‘Insular Celtic’. Insular Celtic was spoken in Britain and Ireland. Manx shares a high percentage of its core vocabulary, word order and idiom with the earliest extant examples of Insular Celtic. At some point in history Insular Celtic developed into two distinct branches, Goidelic, spoken in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, and Brythonic, spoken in Britain as far north as the Clyde. A third branch, Pictish, did not survive and very little is known about it. After the Roman conquest of Britain, Latin became the status language of the occupied areas.