HC Deb 19 March 1979 vol 964 cc452-3W
Mr. R. C. Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children in Scotland in each of the age groups under 8 years, 8 to 9 years, 9 to 10 years, 10 to 11 years, 11 to 12 years, 12 to 13 years, 13 to 14 years, 14 to 15 years, 15 to 16 years, and over 16 years are learning a foreign language; and in each case what proportion this is of the total age group;

(2) how many children in Scotland in each of the age groups under 11 years.

PUPILS IN EDUCATION AUTHORITY SCHOOLS STUDYING FOREIGN LANGUAGES, BY STAGE AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL PUPILS IN EACH STAGE AS AT SEPTEMBER 1977
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6
(1) Numbers of pupils studying the languages:
French 81,032 71,932 33,329 36,188 10,202 2,572
German 7,450 11,351 8,687 7,006 2,829 1,033
Other Modern Languages 917 4,732 2,137 2,159 1,222 518
(2) Total pupils in each stage 90,507 91,586 89,260 86,632 35,705 12,551
(3) Percentage (1) of (2):
French 89.5 78.5 37.3 41.8 28.6 20.5
German 8.2 12.4 9.7 8.1 7.9 8.2
Other Modern Languages 1.0 5.2 2.4 2.5 3.4 4.1

Notes:

  1. 1. Information about numbers of pupils in primary schools who are being introduced to foreign languages is not collected.
  2. 2. Subjects studied are linked to stage not age. S1 is the first year in secondary school, S2 the second, etc. The modal age in S1 is 12, S2 is 13 etc. The age of transfer to secondary school in Scotland is a year later than in England and Wales.
  3. 3. It is not possible to say how many pupils are studying two or more languages; pupils are counted once against each language being studied.
  4. 4. This information is based on data from a sample of schools scaled up to give an estimate of national figures.