Examination Boards: Minority Subjects (Hansard, 28 June 2004)

§ Lord Faulkner of Worcester
asked Her Majesty's Government

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)
My Lords, we are satisfied that Latin, Greek and other minority subjects are being properly supported. The examination boards collaborate, with the encouragement of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, to ensure that minority subjects are offered by at least one of the boards. Although one board has 5 decided to stop offering Latin and Greek at GCSE and A-level, these subjects continue to be available through another board.

§ Lord Faulkner of Worcester
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. But is it not the case that the AQA, the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, to which I think my noble friend referred, took its decision to drop Latin and Greek without any consultation whatever with the teaching profession or with the societies that promote classical studies in this country? Bearing in mind that the AQA, unlike the Oxford and Cambridge Board, has had a particular affinity with intelligent pupils in state schools who have been able to learn Latin and Greek, often with teachers giving their time not as part of the school curriculum but outside the curriculum, is it not deplorable that the AQA should have taken that decision without consultation and that it will deprive many children in state schools of the opportunity to learn these important languages?

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, I am not convinced that these children will be deprived of learning a language. As I indicated, another board will continue to offer the subject. But I say to my noble friend that I have no doubt that the AQA, as a charity independent of government, will take time to reflect on the widespread criticism of its decision and the impact that it could have.

§ Lord Redesdale
My Lords, can the Minister say whether the decision taken by the AQA will affect a large number of other subjects? According to documents produced by the AQA, all subjects where fewer than 1,000 students take the exam are to be sliced. One casualty—no alternative board to the AQA is offering this course—is archaeology, which no child in the country will be able to take as a qualification at GCSE.

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, GCSE operates in such a way as to ensure that if a board proposes to withdraw a subject, it will be available through another board. That is my understanding of the position. If the noble Lord has another view on archaeology, I shall be very happy to discuss it with him. But that would be the position should it appear that a subject was being withdrawn altogether.

§ The Earl of Dundee
My Lords, if the Minister accepts that a little Latin or Greek does not do us any harm, should not all those hoodwinked to the contrary now apply themselves to much clearer writing of the following lines: mea culpa, mea maxima culpa?

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, I wondered how long it would be before Latin found its way into your Lordships' House. It has been in the department all morning, especially from the Secretary of State. There is nothing wrong with students wanting to apply themselves to Latin, and to Greek. I declare an interest as the mother of a son who studies it as an 6 extra subject outside the curriculum. The critical point is to ensure that students of Latin and Greek are able to take examinations in those subjects if they so wish.

§ Baroness Warnock
My Lords, are there any plans to issue guidelines which would distinguish Latin from Greek or other minority subjects on the grounds of its extreme utility in the learning of European languages? Is the Minister aware that voluntary Latin classes, which are frequently offered by schools, have a significant effect on the ability of pupils later to learn other languages?

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, I understand what the noble Baroness says. Some schools would translate that into saying that it is important to understand the root of languages, and that would apply to Latin or Greek. In 2003 there were 9,350 students studying GCSE Latin and about 900 studying GCSE Greek.

§ Baroness Hayman
My Lords, while supporting the views of the noble Baroness, Lady Warnock, on the teaching of Latin, I wonder whether my noble friend has explored the role of examining boards in innovative projects for the bilingual teaching of modern foreign languages. Has the situation improved from that which pertained in my son's school some time ago when a very good project for teaching GCSE geography in the medium of Spanish had to be abandoned because the examining board stopped providing for such examinations and no other board would do so?

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, I was pleased to hear about that experiment but sad to hear of its demise. Indeed, as Minister responsible for languages, I funded the pilot project that enabled young people to learn a subject such as science or geography through the medium of another language. I cannot answer the question specifically. I shall endeavour to write to the noble Baroness. I would hope that we have moved on from that position, especially in the light of the pilots, and were able to offer such exams.

§ Baroness Sharp of Guildford
My Lords, does the Minister not agree that it was most unfortunate that the AQA did not consult any teachers or the classical teaching association? Is that not a very bad example to set? Surely, if an examination board wants to close down a minority subject it should at least consult the teachers concerned.

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, the noble Baroness echoes the comments of my noble friend Lord Faulkner and, indeed, as I have indicated, the widespread criticism that the decision was taken without consultation, which has not gone unnoticed within the department. However, these are independent bodies. The critical factor from our perspective is to ensure that children are able to take GCSEs in these subjects.

§ Baroness Seccombe
My Lords, what representations have the Government received about the AQA board's 7 decision? Is it possible to take mainly AQA examinations with the exception of Latin and Greek and to take those examinations through another board?

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, I am not sure that I understood the second part of the question.

§ Baroness Seccombe
My Lords, if students take mainly AQA board exams, would they then be able to take Greek and Latin through another board?

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness. First, I am not aware that any formal representations have been made to the department. Secondly, notice has been given that the AQA examination will end. I understand from the way that the syllabus is constructed that that was within time to enable students to assess their ability to take the OCR-based curriculum, which is slightly different from that of the AQA, but is extremely good and exciting.

§ Lord Lea of Crondall
My Lords, can my noble friend confirm that the examination board could be overridden by the curriculum council if the curriculum council thought that there was a case for certain examinations to be offered but that it was not cost-effective to do so?

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, my noble friend is right. The AQA took that decision because of those students taking Latin and Greek approximately two-thirds were already taking the OCR board syllabus. Therefore, this was a "numbers" question. Certainly, it is true that the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority can intervene to ensure that subjects remain available.