Press Release

Schools reluctant to set targets to increase language take up

12 November 2007

Only 17% of secondary schools have so far acted on the Government’s requirement to set a benchmark for participation in language learning after fourteen. Over half of secondary schools now have fewer than 50% of pupils continuing with a language in Key Stage 4, and those with the lowest take-up are the most reluctant to set targets to improve.

Findings from CILT’s annual survey of secondary schools, carried out in conjunction with the Association for Language Learning and the Independent Schools’ Modern Language Association, show there is a gulf in practice between schools where languages are well supported, particularly Specialist Language Colleges, grammar schools and independent schools, and others where languages have been allowed to decline to extremely low levels.

The figures suggest, however, that the rapid decline in pupil numbers is stabilising and that there is unlikely to be any further significant drop out. Although French and German have been severely affected by the decline, Spanish is consistently increasing.  More schools now offer Spanish than German, although in terms of pupil numbers German still has more candidates for GCSE.

There has been a growth in the use of alternative qualifications to GCSE, particularly Asset Languages – a new flexible system of qualifications introduced by the Government as part of its National Languages Strategy. The number of maintained schools using Asset Languages, which is available in a wide range of languages, has increased to 14% from 9% last year.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Isabella Moore, Chief Executive of CILT, the National Centre for Languages said, ‘Languages have a key role to play in 14-19 education, at a time when pupils are starting to become independent in exploring the world about them, and think about their future careers. It is a matter of real concern that so few schools have set targets to increase participation rates, particularly in schools putting forward only a handful of candidates for GCSE.’

Duncan Byrne, Chairman of the Independent Schools’ Modern Languages Association, said, ‘There is a divide between the linguistic haves and have-nots which will get wider unless school leaders take action to support their language departments’

Steven Fawkes, for the Association for Language Learning said there was evidence that language departments were keen to set participation targets, but that some school management teams seem reluctant to do so.

See www.cilt.org.uk//research/languagetrends/2007/secondary.htm for the final report and full statistical breakdown.

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