§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what assessment he has made of the role of Latin and Greek teaching within the school curri ulum;
(2) what steps he is taking to promote the study of Latin and Greek in secondary schools.
§ Mrs. RumboldIn England and Wales, arrangements for the teaching of classical languages are the responsibility of local education auhorities and schools themselves. The value of the study of Latin and Greek was recognised in the draft policy statement "Foreign Languages in the School Curriculum", published earlier this year by the Department and the Welsh Office. This suggested that, when Latin and Greek are made available in schools, they should, like second foreign languages, be provided as options for pupils who have shown linguistic ability; and that it may be appropriate for such pupils to study both a second foreign language and a classical language as part of their general language development.
The draft statement called upon authorities and schools to prepare and implement clear and positive policies for their provision of foreign languages. Following consultations on the draft, a final version of the statement will be issued.