[lg policy] Scotland angers European allies over "failing" language policy

Mon Mar 2 20:53:34 UTC 2015

Scotland angers European allies over "failing" language policy
 <http://www.heraldscotland.com/andrew-denholm>
Andrew Denholm <http://www.heraldscotland.com/andrew-denholm>
Education Correspondent
  Monday 2 March 2015

MINISTERS have come under fire from some of the most powerful countries in
Europe over Scotland's school languages policy.

Representatives from Germany, Switzerland and Austria have written to Dr
Alastair Allan, the minister for learning, warning that current policies to
expand language learning may lead to the "ultimate demise" of German in
Scottish schools.

The move comes just weeks after Dr Alexander Yakovenko, the Russian
Ambassador to Great Britain and Northern Ireland, urged Scottish ministers
to protect the Russian Higher qualification, which is to be axed this year
despite a sharp increase in numbers sitting it.

The latest attack on the Scottish Government's languages strategy comes
from the German Consulate General Heinrich Schnettger, and is backed by the
Austrian Consulate and the Swiss Consulate.

A joint draft paper highlights the SNP's aspiration to adopt the European
Union's 1+2 policy which would see all Scottish pupils learning two
languages in addition to their native tongue by the end of primary school.

But it adds: "A review of the situation in 2014 leaves no doubt that
Scottish Government's ambitious targets for increasing language provision
have not been met as far as German is concerned. The uptake of German in
Scottish schools has not increased.

"To make matters worse, the decline of German language learning continues.
In fact, the 1+2 approach might now inadvertently contribute to German's

ultimate demise by failing to provide sufficient safeguards for language
diversity in all 32 councils."

The paper calls in ministers to adopt a ten point plan to save German
language learning including funding for more teachers and foreign language
assistants and support for those schools that want to reintroduce it.

The paper concludes that German language provision has reached such a low
level in Scotland that it is on the verge of being completely phased out.

It adds: "Without a decisive commitment from the Scottish Government and
Scottish councils, the situation of German will deteriorate still further
and will lead to its ultimate demise.

"German language skills are essential for Scotland's international standing
and reputation and thus, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and all stakeholders
are ready to support the Scottish Government to reverse this trend."

The call was backed by Dr Dan Tierney, an education consultant and former
language lecturer at Strathclyde University, who said the decline in German
was a mistake economically.

He said: "According to the Office for National Statistics our top export
market in 2012, after the US, was Germany with goods worth £32 billion and
to these can be added exports to German-speaking Switzerland, Luxembourg
and Austria, all important markets for British exporters.

"Another key area is tourism and for inward tourism German is very
important to us with a Visit Scotland Report in 2013 identifying the US and
German citizens as the two largest groups with both accounting for 13 per
cent of trips to Scotland. German tourists spent £173m in Scotland in 2013."

The warnings comes as figures show the number of pupils taking a Higher in
German has fallen to 1006 in 2014 compared to 1261 in 2009.

The number of secondary school teachers with German as their main subject
has halved in less than a decade, falling from 261 in 2004 to 136 in 2013.
The number of German foreign language assistants in Scottish schools has
fallen from 55 in 2005/06 to just six in 2014/15.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said German learning has an important
place in education.

She added: "We are investing £9 million over two years in our ambitious 1+2
policy which aims to increase language learning and boost the skills of our
future workforce in a global, multi-cultural world. Overall the number of
pupils learning languages at higher level in Scotland is up eight per cent
since 2010.

"In keeping with the flexible arrangements of Curriculum for Excellence,
education authorities decide what languages are offered in their schools,
taking account of local needs. We fully expect the range of languages to
increase as 1+2 is implemented across the country, and this will provide
opportunities for German to become more widely available as capacity is
built within the system."

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/scotland-angers-european-allies-over-failing-language-policy.119574915

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