§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to allow students in UK schools to take Kurdish at GCSE level. [158303]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe decision whether or not to offer particular subjects at GCSE is one for the awarding bodies which are independent commercial enterprises. They do not currently offer a GCSE in Kurdish. The Department has no power to prescribe that subjects outside of the statutory national curriculum should be available at GCSE. For some areas of study, such as Kurdish, which are likely to have a relatively low number of candidates, the cost of providing an examination would be an important consideration for the awarding bodies.