Ane Instructioun for Bairnis to be Learnit in Northumbrian and Scottis: A study of Northumberland and Scots Language use for inclusion in the secondary classroom

The Scots language has been historically marginalised in Scotland, arguably due to its
lack of ‘capital’ (see Bailey, 1987 and Bourdieu, 1986). The European Union, under
the Charter for Minority Languages, recognised Scots as a minority language in 2000
and the UK Government ratified Scots as such in 2001, yet Scots is still often
perceived as ‘bad English’ or positioned within the invented romantic ‘tartanry’ of
Scotland’s heritage (Matheson and Matheson, 2000). Scottish institutions such as the
education system have traditionally ‘othered’ the Scots language and its speakers
(Bailey, 1987). This has potentially generated barriers for learning and compromised
Scots-speaking children’s notions of self-worth, agency and identity.
The following thesis explores Scottish secondary school student and teacher attitudes
towards the place of Scots language in the Scottish classroom. The study also
considers how and why such attitudes have emerged and endure. Moreover
implications and recommendations for the inclusion of Scots in Scottish schools are
considered.