Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Press Release
11th September 2009
First Round Draw Announced for BT Alba Debate 2009
Plans are now well underway for the 2009 BT Scotland National Schools Gaelic Debate. The first two rounds will be held in An Lanntair in Stornoway on Tuesday and Wednesday the 3rd and 4th of November 2009. Sixteen schools from across Scotland will compete in the competition with four schools going through to the semi-finals and finals which will be held in Edinburgh on Tuesday and Wednesday the 24th and 25th of November.
Minor changes have been made to this year’s competition which it is hoped will maximise the level of participation of teams and also add to the enjoyment and excitement of the competition. As well as the eight winning teams, the two highest-scoring losers from Round 1 will also go through to Round 2. In Round 2, all the teams will debate the same topic with the four teams with the highest points progressing to the semi-finals in Edinburgh. The draw for Round 1 is as follows:
Dingwall Academy V Portree High School
Castlebay Community School V Lionacleit Secondary
Lochaber High School V Calderglen High School
Sir E Scott V Greenfaulds High School
Gairloch High School V Tain Royal Academy
Millburn Academy V The Nicolson Institute
Islay High School V Bishopbriggs Academy
Glasgow Gaelic School V James Gillespie High School
Calum Iain MacLeod, Director of Development at Comunn na Gàidhlig, who is Chairman of the National Gaelic Schools’ Debate Management Committee said:
“Year on year we are seeing the competition go from strength to strength. It continues to give Gaelic-speaking secondary school pupils throughout Scotland the opportunity to come together and develop their debating skills and communication skills – skills which will be beneficial to them in later years. We hope that the changes we have made in the first two stages of the competition will add a new dimension to the Debate”.
More information on the Debate can found on the Debate’s website at www.deasbadbtalba.com
Notes to Editors:
The Management Committee would like to thank BT Scotland, the main sponsors, for their continued support of the Debate.
Additional assistance for the BT Scotland Debate 2009 has come from Comunn na Gàidhlig, the BBC, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and MG ALBA.
Taic Airgid Ùr Do Thoglaichean Eachdraidheil
Tha an obair ullachaidh mu choinneamh Deasbad BT Alba 2009 a-nis air tòiseachadh. Thèid a’ chiad dà chuairt a chumail anns an Lanntair ann an Steòrnabhagh air Dimàirt agus Diciadain an treas agus an ceathramh là den t-Samhain 2009. Bidh sia sgoiltean deug bho air feadh Alba a’ gabhail pàirt anns a’ cho-fharpais le ceithir dhiubh sin a’ dol air adhart chun iar-chuairt agus a’ chuairt dheireannaich a thèid a chumail ann an Dùn Èideann air Dimàirt agus Diciadain 24 agus 25 Samhain.
Tha atharraichean beag a’ gabhail àite ann an structar farpais na bliadhna seo agus thathar an dòchas gun toir seo buaidh air compàirteachadh san fharpais a thuilleadh air toileachas agus brosnachadh a thoirt do na farpaisich agus gu dearbha do na britheamhan agus an luchd-èisteachd. A thuilleadh air na ochd sgiobaidhean a bhuannaich, thèid an dà sgioba a chaill agus aig a bheil na comharran as àirde bhon a’ chiad chuairt troimhe chun an dàrna cuairt. Anns an dàrna cuairt, bidh na sgiobaidhean a’ deasbad air an aon chuspair agus thèid na ceithir sgiobaidhean le na comharran as àirde troimhe chun an iar-chuairt dheireannaich a thèid a chumail ann an Dùn Èideann. Chaidh an taghadh airson a’ Chiad Chuairt mar a leanas:
Acadamaidh Inbhir Pheofharain V Àrdsgoil Phort Rìgh
Sgoil Bhàgh a’ Chaisteil V Sgoil Lìonacleit
Àrdsgoil Lochabair V Àrdsgoil Ghleann Challdair
Sgoil Sir E Scott V Àrdsgoil Greenfaulds
Àrdsgoil Gheàrrluich V Acadamaidh Rìoghail Bhaile Dhubhthaich
Acadamaidh Allt a’ Mhuilinn V Sgoil MhicNeacail
Àrdsgoil Ìle V Acadamaidh Dhrochaid an Easbaig
Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu V Àrdsgoil Sheumais Gillespie
Thuirt Calum Iain MacLeòid, Stiùiriche Leasachaidh aig Comunn na Gàidhlig, agus a tha na Chathraiche air Comataidh Rianaidh Deasbad Nàiseanta nan Sgoiltean Gàidhlig:
“Bliadhna as dèidh bliadhna tha sinn a’ faicinn an fharpais seo a’ dol bho neart gu neart. Tha e a’ toirt cothrom do sgoilearan Gàidhlig aig aois àrdsgoil a thighinn còmhla agus na sgilean deasbaid agus conaltraidh a leasachadh – sgilean a bhios feumail dha rìreabh dhaibh ‘s na bliadhnaichean a tha air thoiseach orra. Tha sinn an dòchas gu bheil na h-atharraichean a tha sinn air a chur air dòigh as a’ chiad dà chuairt dol a chur ris an fharpais”.
Gheibh sibh tuilleadh fiosrachaidh air làrach-lìn an Deasbaid: www.deasbadbtalba.com
Fiosrachadh do Luchd-deasachaidh:
Tha a’ Chomataidh Rianaidh airson taing a thoirt do BhT Alba, prìomh luchd taic, airson an cuideachadh a tha iad air a thoirt seachad.
Tha taic agus maoineachadh cuideachd a tighinn bho Chomunn na Gàidhlig, am BBC, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Bòrd na Gàidhlig agus MG ALBA.
. . . . . . .
Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Tel: 01851 822622 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk
Ruairidh Maciver
Communications Assistant
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Tel: 01851 822615 (Work)
Tel: 07881 774601 (Mobile)
email: ruairidh.maciver@cne-siar.gov.uk
