Languages in Primary Schools from 2014!

I have just read Clare Seccombe's post where she rejoices that teaching languages in primary schools will be compulsory in Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 11) from 2014.
This is following a public consultation, where the vast majority of respondents (91%) support the Government proposal. Responses are detailed in the consultation report dated 16th of November.

91%? This an overwhelming result!  Or is it?
The number of respondents was: 318... 318? The government based their decision on the opinion of 318 people?

Don't take me wrong. I am absolutely chuffed by the outcome. In this instance, I think the right result has emerged. However, I am astonished by the low participation in the consultation, and even more so by the consultation being public in the first place!

First of all, I never heard of the consultation, which took place in July. The summer/Olympics combination could have been a big factor in the discretion. Having said that, I do not think it was publicised much, as I would otherwise have heard of it.

Second, why a public consultation? Why base the decision of what subjects to teach in primary school on a plebiscite?
In matters of education, I would hope decisions would be based on research, comparing studies and collating evidence in the relevant fields. An x-factor style vote, which is open to the whole population, seems hardly a constructive way to plan our children's education.

I do now see a point to Michael Rosen's plea to changing the way education policies are made...

In the meantime, I have just submitted my views on the second leg of the consultation: what languages to teach. The consultation started on the 16th of November, and will close on the 16th of December.

Wonder how many people will respond this time.

Scrap Greek and Latin, Teach Arabic and Urdu!

Learning a foreign language in the UK is to become compulsory from age 7. Fabulous news!

In theory.

In practice, who is going to teach them? A primary school teacher whose only claim to foreign language knowledge is French O-levels 20 years ago and a one-week excursion to Tenerife or Fuerte Ventura every now and then?

Now suppose the government can and will recruit native/fluent-speaking teachers, encourages immersion and allocates resources and time for learning languages. These are: Mandarin, French, German, Spanish, Greek and Latin.

Now, I can see the case for French and German, languages of neighbouring countries, quite common and useful for understanding English.

Mandarin and Spanish are increasingly important, due to the economic emergence of China and South America.

But Latin? Greek? One is a dead language and, no offence to Greek-speakers, the other is only spoken by 13 million people worldwide and is sadly in no risk of becoming important on the economic scene any time soon.

What about Arabic, one of the most spoken languages in the world?

And what about Urdu-Hindi? After all, minority language literacy has proven benefits on academic achievement.

I know the benefits of multilingualism, and I think I know how to go about it in practice. I am not sure the British government does...