e-Sgoil – Ten years of breaking down educational barriers​

The event heard that from very small beginnings – to try and find a way round a shortage of Gaelic teachers – the project has evolved into a pioneering online system of learning, now used throughout Scotland, with the latest development being perhaps its most important yet: reaching the most vulnerable children.

Steven Graham, the current head teacher of e-Sgoil, said: “Ten years is a very long time in the world of online learning. And it's been a decade that's seen e-Sgoil develop from an idea for a local solution to a local problem, to become a national funded provider of online learning, with a footprint comprising thousands of young people representing over 960 different schools and a staff bank of almost 300 teachers from all over Scotland and further afield. It has had £11 million worth of income over the past five years, £4.8 million spent here in the Western Isles.”

Warming to his theme, he continued: “e-Sgoil is a drive for greater equity in education, so that what we see is less of a postcode lottery and more in the way of opportunities and pathways for all. e-Sgoil’s purpose is to remove barriers to learning.”

Angus Maclennan was the first head teacher and was highly instrumental in its development. He paid tribute to the former Comhairle nan Eilean Siar director of education Bernard Chisolm whose vision began with scribbled ideas on a white board.

“When Bernard started thinking about setting up e-Sgoil 12 or so years ago, few other education leaders foresaw that the ability to teach and to learn remotely, using the latest technology, would become an absolute necessity for all five to 18 year olds and their teachers within a few short years,” said Angus.

“Bernard was talking about the dangers of global pandemics, and the prospect of cyber-attacks paralysing the education system well before Covid and cyber espionage reared their ugly heads in the public consciousness.”

For many the pandemic, lockdown and the subsequent damage to the social fabric was a dark chapter in modern times. But it was, paradoxically, what allowed e-Sgoil to shine.

“e-Sgoil was in the right place at the right time when Covid struck,” said Angus. “Having secured positive results from a small-scale pilot project in 2015, Bernard's thinking had already gravitated towards the possibility of creating a national digital school, with the Western Isles taking the lead role. 


“He was never one to let risk limit his ambition, or scale thwart aspiration. Ever the astute salesman, he maintained a holistic business model incorporating curriculum, language, employment, culture, community, and collaboration, with equity as the overarching goal the key to selling the concept.

“And he was proved right. With support from Professor Bruce Robertson, Bernard was able to forge a coalition of the willing, consisting of Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, Scottish Government, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and latterly, the Northern Alliance, to fully develop e-Sgoil.”

Angus also praised the contribution of the original team who drove the project forward in the face of many challenges and at times opposition by those concerned about potential negative impacts on traditional education.

“The challenges encountered in launching e-Sgoil were many,” he recounted. “Firstly, appointing a management team mad enough to take on the development took some doing.

“The team consisted of a ying and yang pairing: myself, as head teacher, and Alan Smithyman, who led on strategy. Kenny Matheson was the IT specialist, and Cathy Mary Maclennan, the long-suffering office manager, counsellor, psychologist, referee, and the only person I ever met who could control Bernard.

“Finding good teachers willing to take a leap of faith and who would be engaging online was a second challenge. And credit for this has to go to our very first employee, as a teacher, Cathy Mary MacMillan, an outstanding Gàdhilig teacher, but with no online experience whatsoever. 
She couldn't even switch a computer on. She stepped up to the plate and taught National 5 Gàidhlig from a room in Shawbost School to Hazelhead Academy in Aberdeen. And very successfully indeed.”

As part of its evolution e-Sgoil is now helping those who are unable to attend school for physical or mental health reasons through the complementary development of i-Sgoil, giving "Interrupted" learners an opportunity to continue their education

Catriona Stewart, former chair of education when e-Sgoil launched 10 years ago, particularly welcomed this development.

“When you see now the inclusion of young people who, for whatever reason, are unable to stay in the school environment for any length of time, that is hugely and critically important,” she said. “Now it gives them opportunities for learning and education and further education.”

The Barron family from Lewis attended the 10th anniversary celebrations and told the Gazette the difference i-Sgoil learning has made to their son Bryce. His dad Hugh explained Bryce’s situation.

“For us we have seen a massive difference in Bryce,” he said. “Bryce has quite a rare heart condition so he can’t attend physical school. Last year we spent quite a lot of time in Glasgow at the hospital having the i-Sgoil there so he could login, go into class and interact. Being away from home and being able to attend school was just a lifeline educationally for him.”

Bryce’s mum Jane acknowledged the support they have received

“I’d just like to say how supported we are. It's actually given us a lifeline at a time where we didn’t know where Bryce's education was going to go.

“He’d always been on a restricted timetable and things had deteriorated health wise, so this (i-Sgoil) threw us a lifeline that we didn’t know anything about. During months in hospital it was a bright spot in the day and now that he is home and recuperating he can have a full timetable, something he has never had before. It's just really changed things as a family. It's been great, it's been super”

Donald Macleod, chief officer of education and children's services at the Comhairle told the Gazette that i-Sgoil is a fundemantal part of e-Sgoil’s future.

“e-Sgoil’s most critical programme now is the Isgoil programme, the interrupted learners’ programme, which is working with several hundred children from across the country who can't attend traditional school through a myriad of reasons, physical and mental health, anxiety, Autism Spectral Disorder and a myriad of reasons that affect their ability to attend a traditional school setting,” he said.

“I-Sgoil offers these children a full, online curriculum from their safe base, from home, and they're making great inroads and great achievements from that. 
But we know there's a much wider audience for i-Sgoil, and we think there is a bright and strong future for that provision to meet the needs of sometimes our most vulnerable children, to make sure they have an equitable access to education.’

However, despite the project’s proven track record and achievements Mr Macleod believes they must continue to make the case to secure its future and legacy. “It's hard work every year, trying to make sure that e-Sgoil has the finance that it needs to service its courses and to grow,” he said. “We've done a lot of the exploration in the first 10 years. We know what works, we know what doesn't. 


“We now need to build a sustainable future so that we can guarantee e-Sgoil going forward for the next 10 years and servicing, particularly the work of i-Sgoil, and the growth of Gaidhlig language learning, for what we know is a market for accessing courses that children can't access in their own schools.

“These are the known markets. 
We now need to be able to build a sustainable organisation back and deliver across the nation. And we're ready to work with any partner who wants to work with us to do that.”