There has been much debate about Modern Languages in Scottish schools in recent years, with falls in the number of pupils taking and succeeding in foreign languages.
This was raised as a key issue in Scotland in 2013 with initiatives to reverse this being quickly introduced. Since 2013 things in Scotland have apparently not improved. The percentage change nationally for French 2013-18 is reported as falling by 61%, Spanish by over 11%, with attainment also reported as falling in these subjects.
This was picked up again today in the news following a survey by the BBC confirming this decline in Scotland and across the UK. This survey also highlighted the potential damage for the generations coming through of this trend and the benefits lost when languages are neglected.
Scottish Independent Schools report a very healthy % A pass figures which our average A pass % over this period has more than matched for both Spanish and French.
While the BBC survey reports that 41% of schools in Scotland no long offer the option of a foreign language at 16, not only is this offered, but almost 100% of Hutchesons’ pupils take at least one National 5 in a foreign language at 16.
In 2018 100% achieved a top grade A pass in National 5 Latin, 76% the same in French, 77% in German and 76% in Spanish, with healthy numbers continuing to Higher with one or more language.
Encouragingly, and against national trends, our German uptake is increasing, and our thriving Classics Department offers both Latin and Greek through the school. We also offer the opportunity to study Italian and sample Portuguese, and two pupils were recently accepted to Oxford for Languages. Our Primary provision has for many years been based on a multi-language approach emphasising connections across languages rather then focusing on only one.
We are not immune to national trends, however, and remain vigilant in relation to the position of languages in a well-balanced curriculum. The public perception is that languages are hard. The truth is that languages require time over time and commitment, from the pupils themselves of course, from patient, imaginative and skilled language teachers, naturally, but also from schools under pressure from all directions to teach more things with less.
Blog post by Colin Bagnall, Depute Rector, Director of Curriculum.
