§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has for the teaching of Panjabi in schools. [175047]
§ Mr. Stephen TwiggThe Department encourages schools to offer a wide range of languages, including community languages. Under current national curriculum requirements, schools are free to offer any modern foreign language, including Panjabi, as long as the offer includes at least one of the working languages of the European Union.
Learners of Panjabi will be able to have their language skills recognised by the Languages Ladder—the National Recognition scheme—which will be rolled out nationally from September 2005.