[lg policy] UK: French disappearing from GCSE classrooms

[Harold Schiffman]

French disappearing from GCSE classrooms

As number of pupils taking GCSE French and German falls, teachers urge
ministers to review optional status of languages State schools are
slowly abandoning modern foreign languages, with fewer than three in
10 teenagers now taking French GCSE, today's results show. Teachers
pressed ministers urgently to review their "totally mistaken" decision
five years ago to make foreign languages optional at the age of 14.
The number of pupils who took French GCSE this year dropped 6.6% on
last year, to 188,688, while German fell by 4.2% to just under one in
11 pupils – 73,469. It is the seventh year in a row that French and
German entrance numbers have slumped.

Spanish GCSE retained its popularity, with just 22 fewer students than
last year at 67,020; while Polish and Arabic rose by 19%, to 3,649 and
3,130 respectively. The number taking Chinese was up 15% to 3,469.
John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers (NUT),
branded the government's decision to stop compulsory languages at 14,
which was supported by the Conservatives, as "absolutely ridiculous".
Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT, said: "The reduction
in take-up of modern foreign languages, particularly in French and
German, is of fundamental concern. Very many young people may well
regret in future that they should have taken a foreign language but
didn't do so because this subject area is now optional. "This is
precisely the opposite of what should happen in a world where national
boundaries are less and less important."

>>From next year, all primary schools are expected to give every pupil
who wants it the chance to learn a foreign language. A year later,
they will be required to give all seven- to 11-year-olds a statutory
entitlement to learn a language in class time. The former education
secretary Alan Johnson said this "put languages at the heart of
learning". Blower said: "It is absurd that primary schools, with the
enormous range of expectations that rest on their shoulders, should
carry a disproportionate responsibility for ensuring learning in
modern foreign languages." This year's results show attempts to ignite
children's interest in the sciences seem to be paying off, with a leap
in the number of students taking single science GCSEs.

The number of students who took biology rose by 18% to more than
100,000, while chemistry and physics rose 20% and 21% respectively,
with at least 91,000 entries each.
John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and
College Leaders, said: "The large increase in numbers doing single
science GCSEs shows that schools have responded to the demand from the
government to enter more young people for physics, chemistry and
biology." The rise in single science GCSEs comes after the exams
regulator, Ofqual, ordered a review of a new GCSE, known as
21st-century science. Its investigation of the qualification found a
"lack of challenge" in papers, different standards across the three
main exam boards and too many multiple-choice questions.

The number of pupils taking information and communication technology
fell by 14% to 73,519, while design and technology dropped by 8.1% to
305,809. About 670,000 teenagers took 5.5m GCSEs this year. Andrew
Grant, head of St Albans school and chairman of the Headmasters' and
Headmistresses' Conference, a group of independent schools, said:
"Independent schools are significantly over-represented in GCSE
entries in the separate sciences, in modern languages, in economics
and in classics. Today's GCSE results make it clear that the future of
these key subjects depends to a significant degree on independent
schools."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/aug/27/french-abandoned-gcse-state-school

-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents.
Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal.
(H. Schiffman, Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************

_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list