A response to the Public Consultation regarding -

DCAL Strategy for Ulster-Scots Language, Heritage and Culture July 2012

Draft 16th October 2012

Introduction About the Ulster-Scots Community Network Mission Statement.... The Ulster-Scots Community Network aims to preserve, promote and develop Ulster-Scots heritage and culture in all its forms

The Ulster-Scots Community Network (USCN) was established in 1995 to promote awareness and understanding of the UlsterScots tradition in history, language and culture. Through a continuing programme of wide-ranging projects we also highlight the significant contribution of the Ulster-Scots community to the development of life in Northern Ireland, the border counties of the Republic of Ireland, and the wider Ulster-Scots diaspora. As a representative umbrella organisation with over 400 member groups, we are committed to representing the interests of those who engage in a variety of Ulster-Scots activities. What we do.... Provide assistance, advice and guidance to the Ulster-Scots community Produce high quality educational and historical literature and displays on a range of Ulster-Scots topics Assist Ulster-Scots groups identify and access relevant funders and financial assistance Share a range of relevant information with our membership Lobby on a range of relevant issues and respond to consultations of interest to the Ulster-Scots community

Our Response The Ulster-Scots Community Network (USCN) welcomes the creation of this Strategy following the UK Governments commitment to do so in 2006. We also welcome the fact that the Northern Ireland Executive has included Ulster-Scots language and cultural development as a target in their 2011-2015 Programme for Government.

Response Notes Part 2 Context and Vision

USCN are satisfied that the content of this section is an accurate overview of the origins, evolution and current status of Ulster-Scots language, heritage and culture. We would however wish to see included at 2.14, reference to the human rights obligations contained in the treaties ratified by the U.K. in regard to language, heritage and culture and specifically taking account of obligations under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML), The European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Part 3 Aims, Objectives & Stakeholders USCN welcome the aims and aspirations of the Strategy document.

We particularly welcome the recognition that other government departments (not just DCAL ) have multilayered responsibilities in the successful delivery of this document

A key Aim which is not included should be to increase capacity and infrastructure within the Ulster-Scots Community. USCN are keen to ensure that all the stakeholders listed have clear remits in the implementation of the Strategy and that opportunities for duplication of services are identified and minimised

USCN believe that the wider Ulster-Scots community and its representative organisations should be officially recognised and listed as a key stakeholder in this strategy.

Part 4 Education A robust approach to education is central to the successful implementation of this strategy. Our remit is cultural and our members have identified cultural rights as one of their areas of concern. Therefore we have a special interest in the cultural rights of children. We believe that

the implementation of such rights is not only the right of the child but right for the child. There are several articles in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which establish cultural rights, with particular reference to the education system:

Article 29 1. States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to: (a) The development of the childs personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential. (b) The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. (c) The development of respect for the childs parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own. (d) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin. Article 30 In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or who is indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his

or her own culture, to profess and practice his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language.

Article 31 1. States Parties recognise the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. 2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity. These articles establish that: The education system should encourage and facilitate the development of respect for the cultural identity, language and values of the child. The child should be able to enjoy his or her own culture. The provision of cultural opportunities should be appropriate and equal.

We are concerned that this aspect of childrens rights has not received adequate attention and we would encourage DCAL, in partnership with the Department of Education, to consider how they might ensure that this is addressed through this strategy. USCN believe there is a lack of understanding about cultural rights, especially those of children, and the Education and Training Inspectorate does not assess how schools are implementing these cultural rights.

Within the education system in Northern Ireland we have a number of sectors and some of them have a strong cultural ethos, especially the Roman Catholic Maintained sector and the Irish Medium sector. In these sectors there is an emphasis on the Irish language, Gaelic games and Irish traditional music. In this and other ways the schools reflect the culture of the children who attend them. However most children from the Ulster-Scots community attend schools in the Controlled sector, where there has been a certain reticence about culture. As a result we do not have the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural activity and controlled schools remain culturally sterile areas. We therefore very much support the aspiration to include training for Boards of Governors as part of this strategy in the hope that a greater awareness of the cultural rights of children will assist them make Ulster-Scots culture and studies more accessible in their schools.

USCN are supportive of the broad aspirations contained in the Education section of the Strategy but would make the following remarks

Pre Primary specific care needs to be taken to ensure a suitable approach is agreed when introducing Ulster-Scots learning at this very early and formative age.

Primary and Secondary provision needs to be supported with well trained teaching staff, supportive internal school systems and high quality resources.

Care needs to be taken when offering Ulster-Scots as a study subject that schools do not assume Irish studies must be offered as a counterbalance in some areas this assumption

will have the adverse result of neither subject being taught. Existing Human Rights legislation on the cultural rights of children should mean that appropriate cultural identity, reflective of the community ethos of the school, can be included without stigma.

Decisions on curriculum and assessment need to recognise questions surrounding the shape of a taught syllabus for Ulster-Scots. Would this only be the study of language or would it include literature, music, history etc Opportunities exist to include elements of Ulster-Scots cultural studies into a number of existing subjects. We demand that Government undertake to ensure that Ulster-Scots musical traditions and the instruments of the Ulster marching band culture are better catered for in the education sector. Whilst traditional music flourishes in Maintained sector, the musical traditions and ethos of the Ulster-Scots community are largely ignored in the Controlled sector.

Media

USCN welcome the comprehensive approach employed by the strategy highlighting the importance of various forms of media. We would make the following remarks -

 Government need to recognise and redress the clear imbalance which exists in the media in terms of cultural programming for the Ulster-Scots community

The creation of the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund was a welcome initiative but remains largely inaccessible by the grass roots Ulster-Scots community. There exists a clear lack of commitment to capacity building in media production for the Ulster-Scots community as a result the reliance on often uninterested broadcast companies to tell our story remains. There is a need to escape the stereotypical expectation of how Ulster-Scots broadcasting should look and feel. Quality Control should be paramount in the decision making process - we need fresh thinking as opposed to more of the same.

Radio Station we welcome this target and providing demand and sustainability projections are realistic feel that this would be a valuable marketing tool for our culture

In the modern age it is easy to write off printed media as a thing of the past. Care must be taken to cater for the important age demographic (65+) which makes up much of the self indentifying Ulster-Scots community USCN would also be supportive of an initiative to create and support a Community based Ulster-Scots newspaper/magazine/periodical

Digital Media Need to carry out an audit of existing UlsterScots online material and incorporate this data into any proposed integrated media strategy. Social Media and Apps will have an increasingly important role in the online presentation of Ulster-Scots language and culture

Use of Language We believe that Ulster-Scots should be audible, visible and accessible. USCN welcomes the willingness of this strategy to change attitudes towards Ulster-Scots language. Many in politics and the media have been quick to ridicule and poke fun at our language and traditions. This sustained campaign of negativity has created an embarrassment factor even within our own community.

Attitudes need to be challenged and changed therefore any initiatives which are designed to remove the cringe factor created by our critics, are to be welcomed It is important that initiatives designed to promote the use of the Ulster-Scots language in the home are welcomed. Intergenerational linguistic contact is key to the future success of language promotion. This factor is linked to, and dependent on, a more positive portrayal of Ulster-Scots in the education sector and the media. Parents will not feel comfortable about actively promoting their own Ulster-Scots language and cultural traditions to their children if that culture is seen to be marginalised and scorned within wider society USCN welcome the commitment to explore an agreed route towards written language standardisation. There are sensitivities around this work and the difficulties encountered by Scots, Welsh and Irish in agreeing terms of reference for standardisation are testimony to this fact. Co operation between Ulster-Scots language organisations is crucial to ensuring this key body of work is delivered.

Public Services

Whilst being staunch advocates for the language rights of the Ulster-Scots speaking community, USCN believe that no tangible need exists for the provision of public services in either Ulster-Scots or Irish. USCN believe that in the current economic climate, even the Ulster-Scots community would not wish to see valuable resources being used to deliver public services in the UlsterScots language. Cost implications of staff training and document creation are not justifiable.

USCN do encourage the use of Ulster-Scots language in a way which is visible and accessible when appropriate and where demand exists

Culture USCN welcome the comprehensive range of actions detailed in this strategy. Our community have a rich and vibrant cultural identity which encompasses history, music, dance and of course, language and literature. These aspects of our identity combine to provide a unique product which should receive more attention from those tasked with the promotion of Northern Ireland as a cultural tourism destination. The recent Our time, our place advertising

campaign paid no attention to the cultural identity of the UlsterScots community. Our award winning marching bands, the spectacle of our cultural pageants or the expressions of living history documenting the Ulster-Scots story have all been largely ignored.

Cultural Heritage centres should be located in areas which have rich cultural linkages to the Ulster-Scots story and should be staffed by those from the area who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic to share their culture. Heritage heartland partnerships - It is important to create and develop links with local government and communities outside Northern Ireland especially in Scotland. No UlsterScots strategy can ignore or preclude interaction with Scotland. This level of East/West interaction has been long promised but never secured under the current arrangements.

Action is required to progress cultural targets not more feasibility studies, consultations and pilot schemes. Expectations have often been raised yet the perception remains that little progress is made or is allowed to be made.

Part 6 Equality Impact Assessment USCN have no particular comments which are at odds with the assumptions made by DCAL concerning the EQIA for this Strategy

Other comments

The Ulster-Scots Community Network welcomes the publication of this strategy and recognises its importance as the most significant undertaking to date, by the Northern Ireland executive towards meeting their cultural obligations as defined in 1998, 2003 & 2006 and the various UN charters and conventions to which the UK Government have subscribed. If the 2011-2015 Programme for Government is to be delivered in full, the implementation of this document is critical to the successful delivery of the cultural diversity element of a Strong and Shared Community Whilst being supportive of the content of this strategy, USCN has concerns around the actual delivery specifics of the document. When read alongside the recent strategy for the Irish language, the Ulster-Scots strategy appears to be entirely aspirational and is lacking in hard targets and specific delivery timescales. There exists a marked disparity between the strategies in terms of detail, actions and measurable results. USCN would encourage the Department to begin the process of adding detail to this strategy (How? Who? & When?) and then to plan for implementation by committing adequate resources and personnel to ensure the process is begun and meaningfully progressed in the life of the current executive. Our community perceives that in the past, progress on a number of Ulster-Scots cultural issues has been stalled and delayed. Whilst we appreciate that the creation of policy can be a slow process we now call for a period of sustained

investment in personnel and resources to allow this document to be implemented.

Community expectations have been raised by this document these expectations can only be met by timely and meaningful progress towards the objectives of this strategy. Without progress, this paper is consigned to become merely an aspirational statement of intent and nothing will have been achieved.