[Bones McCoy]

That's odd, satnav. You appear to have been implanted with the same false memory as me. It must be that, because I cannot imagine any Government Department ever distorting the facts and lying to the public.

Winston Smith continues his work at the Ministry of Truth.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Barely adult.

Williamson is responding to Green.

He claims that [Kate] Green is wedded to the EU vaccine programme, and is probably “disappointed” that the UK is not part of it.

He ignores most of Green’s questions.

[Cyclist]

A primary school has won what its head teacher has called a landmark ruling at the High Court over attempts to force it to be an academy.

Yew Tree Primary in Walsall was rated inadequate by Ofsted inspectors in 2019 and the education secretary said it must become an academy to improve.

The school challenged the order but the Department for Education (DfE) refused to revoke it.

A High Court judge called the decision "irrational" and quashed the ruling.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... m-57944481

The world's greatest fireplace salesman making an "irrational" decision? Whatever next?

[The Weeping Angel]

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2 ... es-england

Latin is to be taught at state schools across England in an effort to counter the subject’s reputation as one that is “elitist” and largely at private schools.

A £4m Department for Education (DfE) scheme will initially be rolled out across 40 schools as part of a four-year pilot programme for 11- to 16-year-olds starting in September 2022.

According to a British Council survey, Latin is taught at key stage three in less than 3% of state schools, compared with 49% of independent schools.

The education secretary, Gavin Williamson, said: “We know Latin has a reputation as an elitist subject which is only reserved for the privileged few. But the subject can bring so many benefits to young people, so I want to put an end to that divide.”

He added that there should be “no difference in what pupils learn at state schools and independent schools”, adding: “Which is why we have a relentless focus on raising school standards and ensuring all pupils study a broad, ambitious curriculum.”

I suppose it might be useful for kids playing Warhammer 40,000.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Latin has benefits for some pupils.

I taught in a Language College and we offered Latin (as an extra) to the gifted linguists. Like atheists studying the Bible it can add depth to your cultural and linguistic grounding. But there is so much classism and inverted snobbery around it...

[RedSparrows]

More Latin is fine by me. Just stop pretending creative arts and modern languages are pointless. This isn't hard, moron Williamson.

[Boiler]

Many years ago at my secondary we had a French teacher who felt pupils should learn Latin as it helped with learning the Romance languages.

What about the Saxon languages though? Bet Fowler would have had something to say about that...

[kreuzberger]

Latin in 40 schools, eh? Should be easy enough to rustle up teachers to cover those classes, especially if the old "rule nothing in, rule nothing" maxim comes in to play. Like exhumations, for example.

They tried to get me in to Latin when I entered 6th Form, chiefly because I had done reasonably well in French and German with no discernable effort and an even worse attendance record. It hardly brain salad, to be fair, but the teacher was such a blue-stockinged, stuck-up, plummy old bag that I barely made it through to Christmas. All the empathy of a Home Secretary but with better diction, as Digby fuckin' Jones would be quick to point out.

Still, it will give Fat Al a photo-opportunity where he will be able to show off (his failing grammar) with some posh kids from Solihull, while Gav looks on blankly, having nothing more than a CSE in fireplaces to his name.

Moreover, cattus mortuus est. As is, Fat Al's kid count inflating by some 15-20%, it's hard to put a precise number on it, within the next few months. But, that's for another thread.

[Andy McDandy]

Yeah, just more fodder for the Melchett lookalikes reading the Mail on Sunday and convinced that all the kids are slackers.

[Bones McCoy]

Latin in 40 schools, eh? Should be easy enough to rustle up teachers to cover those classes, especially if the old "rule nothing in, rule nothing" maxim comes in to play. Like exhumations, for example.

They tried to get me in to Latin when I entered 6th Form, chiefly because I had done reasonably well in French and German with no discernable effort and an even worse attendance record. It hardly brain salad, to be fair, but the teacher was such a blue-stockinged, stuck-up, plummy old bag that I barely made it through to Christmas. All the empathy of a Home Secretary but with better diction, as Digby fuckin' Jones would be quick to point out.

Still, it will give Fat Al a photo-opportunity where he will be able to show off (his failing grammar) with some posh kids from Solihull, while Gav looks on blankly, having nothing more than a CSE in fireplaces to his name.

Moreover, cattus mortuus est. As is, Fat Al's kid count inflating by some 15-20%, it's hard to put a precise number on it, within the next few months. But, that's for another thread.

Must be a few de-frocked priests looking to make a living through their language skills.
What could possibly go wrong.

[mattomac]

I might give him some credence if he hadn’t just sliced the arts funding in higher education and cuts hadn’t happened to modern foreign languages.

[The Weeping Angel]

I think this should be the way for Labour to respond.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Except that it has been done for years - started under Tony Blair - partly as a social mobility measure, partly as a way of 'levelling up' for the most able kids in state schools to achieve parity with private schools in breadth, rather then depth. Cambridge University have a mature, tested and popular course which we were running as far back as 2004.

It's a minute part of the whole - or should be.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I'm a very strong advocate of Latin, but it's a minority subject even in lots of places where there's already a long tradition of it and a full complement of classics teachers. Private schools can afford to keep it going with a class of three or four A level students. Much harder for an average state school, unless it's getting ringfenced money from the DfE, I should think. Is this really the best use of money?

[Andy McDandy]

Andrew Pierce was blaming the shortage of HGV drivers on Blair this weekend. Also saying that we need to reconsider the role of universities (too many poor kids doing media studies at jumped up polys etc).

Pretty clear what he wants - Oxford as a finishing school for well off kids, Cambridge for Specky McFarland who was good at stinks, St Andrew's for the Jocks and the golf.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Andrew Bridgen, I think.

[The Weeping Angel]

Andrew Bridgen, I think.

Yeah it was Andrew Bridgen.

[kreuzberger]

The aspect of today's education news which does lay at Blair's* feet is the running down of modern languages.

Estranged step-son, Ampleforth, grunting monoglot. First fruit, Kelvinside, reasonably eloquent monoglot until he taught himself Dutch.

Daughter, smattering of well-formed German when she can be arsed.

* I am digging deep in to late-nineties memories and would welcome being shot down in flames.

[Bones McCoy]

I think this should be the way for Labour to respond.

Liz Truss working on a big trade deal with Latin America.

[mattomac]

If it helps Brazilian nationals settle in the UK I’m all for it