Irish language and Ulster Scots legislation welcomed by The Open University

The Open University welcomes the passing of Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill at Westminster. This development enables the official recognition of the Irish language and Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland.

The legislation facilitates the identities of those who value Irish culture and language and those grounded in the Ulster-Scots traditions. As a university which has equality, diversity and inclusion at its core and where students from all cultural traditions are valued, we see this legislation as an important step towards the protection of cultural pluralism in Northern Ireland.

Working with the indigenous languages across the United Kingdom and Ireland is a strength of The Open University. In Northern Ireland, in partnership with BBC Two Northern Ireland, Below The Radar TV and NI Screen’s Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund, The Open University co-produced Languages of Ulster, a three part programme exploring the rich and diverse heritage of languages in Ulster (BBC iPlayer - Languages of Ulster) as well as additional material on the OpenLearn platform (Languages of Ulster - The Open University | BBC Partnership).

The Open University looks forward to playing our part in nurturing the Irish language and Ulster Scots, as we have done in Wales. The Open University in Wales has long adopted the principle that in the conduct of public business in Wales, we treat the English and Welsh languages on a basis of equality.

With the Welsh Language Standards providing an opportunity to build on this, The Open University is committed to achieving compliance and continuing to deliver quality services through the medium of Welsh. More information is available here: https://www.open.ac.uk/wales/en/welsh-language

The Open University's open-access free learning platform is available fully translated in Cymraeg and includes courses in Cymraeg for beginners.  

In Scotland, where there are three indigenous languages, Scots, Gaelic, and English. The Open University has developed courses free open access course in the Scots language and culture and Gaelic in modern Scotland.