Government ensures minority languages continue to be studied in schools

In March it was announced that exam boards AQA and OCR were considering scrapping a range of minority language qualifications due to declining entry levels and a shortage of experienced examiners.

The government will now work with exam boards and Ofqual to make sure a wide variety of languages will still be taught in the classroom, with a further announcement about the proposed approach to be made later in the year.

School Reform Minister Nick Gibb said: “All pupils should have the opportunity to study foreign languages as part of a core academic curriculum that prepares them for life in modern Britain. This should extend to community languages.

“There are some community languages which exam boards have said they need to discontinue at GCSE or A level, which is why we are now taking action and working with them and Ofqual to determine how these qualifications can continue.

“In an outward-facing country such as Britain, it is important that we have high-quality qualifications not just in French, German and Spanish but also in languages such as Polish, Urdu, Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati and Turkish.”

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