§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list by local education authority in England and Wales the range of foreign languages available in(a) schools and (b) other establishments, and taught in the last academic year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. EggarThe information is not available in the form requested. A copy of the 1988 secondary school staffing survey is available in the Library.
§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for extending the choice of foreign languages available in schools and colleges after 1992; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarWe have specified 19 languages as eligible to be the modern foreign language foundation subject in the national curriculum. These include all the working languages of the European Community and 11 other languages which also have cultural and commercial importance. Within this framework, we are encouraging schools to offer a wider variety of languages, and in 1991–92 we are making grants available to local education authorities in England to support schemes for the diversification of first foreign language provision in their areas.
The responsibility for deciding academic policy such as the range of foreign language tuition in institutions of further and higher education rests primarily with the institutions themselves.
§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the recruitment of teachers of foreign languages and the current position on vacancies in schools; and what plans he has further to increase the number of foreign language teachers.
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§ Mr. FallonFollowing the extension of the teacher training bursary to modern foreign languages from September 1990, applications to modern foreign language courses beginning this autumn have increased by 16 per cent. over 1989. Recruitment figures for initial teacher training courses will be published shortly.
The January 1990 survey data show foreign language teacher vacancies of 2.3 per cent.
The Department is supporting a number of research projects both to ease the recruitment of foreign nationals and to enable a greater number of teachers here to become effective teachers of modern foreign languages. We are also the first country to implement the EC directive on the mutual recognition of qualifications, as it relates to teachers.
§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy on the teaching of European languages to children of school age; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarA modern foreign language is a foundation subject in the national curriculum for pupils aged 11 to 16. The languages specified as eligible to be taught as the national curriculum foundation subject include all the working languages of the European Community. Schools are required to offer pupils the opportunity to study at least one of these languages.