Should the DfE be offering £26k bursaries to train as a Classics teacher?

I did Classics and Latik through state secondary and loved it. It’s a great shame it’s not an option for more students as it’s such a good foundation for other Western European languages and history.

DS's state secondary has compulsory Classics (alright, it's a Grammar but at least one other non Grammar secondary round here offers Classics too).

DS has amazed me by loving Latin it so far and is considering choosing Greek for next year.

I am as far from a Tory as itis possible to be and I would have loved to have studied Classics! I have had to self teach myself as I never had the option at school. So useful if you love History, Literature, Politics, Science - I remember a friend had to do a Latin catch up course before starting Med school many years ago, at the university's insistence.

None of the state schools me offer classics. Not one. Classics are not subjects offered in normal comprehensive schools. I'm with Noble.

Our secondary state school offers Latin. My 9 year old wants to teach herself as it's not offered at her primary. Since the age of 7 she has wanted to do Classics at university. Her ultimate goal in life is to write for the stage or screen.

I guess I got her started by buying her myths and legends in order to counteract the Christianity at school. Classics offers philosophy, history, critical analysis as well as language. It's a fantastic subject.

Dd’s doing Classical Civilisation GCSE and loves it. It’s a fascinating curriculum combining history, literature, arts and philosophy. I’d be all for more children getting the opportunity to take the subject not fewer

Our secondary has just rolled out ClassCiv as an additional humanity. We had a briefing at an info evening - it looks like a great syllabus, bringing together history, art, politics, and philosophy (and gender studies) all in a subject with a good academic reputation.

Teaching Latin and Greek alongside MFL makes sense, as they both have an input to many languages.

However, "Classics" is not just about language, it's about the histories of some of the cultures that existed around the Mediterranean, putting them on a pedestal above other ancient civilisations. If they expanded it to cover all cultures such as the many Asian ones that rivalled and arguably exceed Rome and Greece it would be more inclusive.

My DCs are in state education and Classics would benefit them immensely. I did a course at Uni and it was very useful. You are being narrow minded.

I have a son who took a first in Classics last year at Oxford and a daughter in her way to Cambridge to read a subject for which an ancient languave will be useful.

Our prerequisites for secondary selection were: three sciences separately taughf, a classical language and a good mfl offering.

Unfortunately in our Lindon Birough no school offered this and as our dc were linguists rather than scientists Tifgin was a non runner. We therefore had to meet their needs via the independent sector.

State schools need to raise their game. F a comp does not iffer what a selective school woukd in terms of curriculum then it is by decault a secondary modern because it does not meet the needs of all children in order that they may reach their full potential.

Oh and my sister left teaching because she was told she had to teach gcse maths. She’s a qualified science teacher so they shot themselves in the foot there. Not only are the school now short in maths teachers they’re short on science teachers.

To be honest I think it’s crazy.

Especially when you consider with nhs degree courses (shortage of 34,000 nurses) not only have they removed bursaries but now have to pay tuition fees.

But back on point yes I do agree if there’s money they should focus on retention, and then more mainstream subject recruitment. My dd was taught science in her gcse years by non science specialists, had 6 successive English teachers in years 10-11 as they all kept walking out, sometimes mid lesson and is currently doing A level product design without a DT teacher.

Playing devils advocate, I wonder how many 'experienced' teachers have had it easy for a few decades and got used to an easy life? Now they are being made to work for their living they are finding it hard to adjust, so no wonder they are leaving. Maybe new teachers wont have that expectation and will find hard work a normal part of the job, just like most other people in other industries do?
No one goes onto threads about nursing recruitment and says that people are leaving nursing because they’re lazy, do they? There was one the other day where everyone piled on to sympathise with working conditions for nurses and how hard and stressful it was. Teachers do not have it the worst, but because everyone went to school they think that they are an expert. The stress of working in a school at the moment is for a lot of hard working, dedicated and experienced people unbearable. Teachers are usually perfectionists and people pleasers by nature (no one goes into teaching wanting to do a crap job) and successive policy changes have put enormous pressure on the profession to constantly move the goalposts. We cannot win. Parents complain if there’s homework, if there’s no homework. We are held responsible for the learning outcomes of teenagers with increasingly poor mental health (which we are also blamed for) under huge amounts of pressure and bogged down with never ending paperwork and data. Parents also want us to teach budgeting, and life skills etc etc etc.

Recruiting shiny new teachers isn’t necessarily the answer, I have 10 years classroom experience. Yes I am expensive. But you need a MIX of experience, expertise and enthusiasm to be a successful teacher.

Apologies if I have offended any teachers on here.

Lets all pile in and drag any thread involving a question about teaching down to teacher bashing

I wasn't trying to have a go at teachers. I think a lot of secondary teachers are underpaid for the work they do. And my DC mostly have great teachers, its not a job I could do, more respect to them. Was just interested in the answer to that idea as I am not a teacher and do not understand all the problems in schools today.

I have to wonder, Julie, if you've ever stepped foot in a school since the eighties?

I am confused as to why Maths isn't on that list for bursaries. (Other than the peanuts they're offering for primary maths)
But astonished that with my 2ii in an EBacc subject I can get £26k to train (does this get used to pay the fees though? So £16k really?) to teach, but DH with a 1st in maths would get nothing?

I wonder how many 'experienced' teachers have had it easy for a few decades and got used to an easy life? Now they are being made to work for their living they are finding it hard to adjust, so no wonder they are leaving. Maybe new teachers wont have that expectation and will find hard work a normal part of the job, just like most other people in other industries do?

Here we go again. Lets all pile in and drag any thread involving a question about teaching down to teacher bashing. It's so unimaginative, and not really worth explaining to anyone who doesn't really want to know, just to criticise.

Playing devils advocate perhaps it would be a good idea to look at the retention rate of new teachers before assuming the retention problem is down to experienced teachers who don't like working for a living.

Er, yes there is a big shortage of Classics teachers. They’re a struggle to come by.

The money should be spent training and retaining teachers in English...
How big a pay raise would £26,000 give to existing teachers? 0.01p a year ?

money being spent on subjects which are more of a luxury than essential
Classics is no more a luxury than Drama, Music, Art, RE, DT, and dozens of other subjects taught at school.

Playing devils advocate, I wonder how many 'experienced' teachers have had it easy for a few decades and got used to an easy life? Now they are being made to work for their living they are finding it hard to adjust, so no wonder they are leaving. Maybe new teachers wont have that expectation and will find hard work a normal part of the job, just like most other people in other industries do?

possibly a trial noble But after the initial £20k..... realistically is an extra £5k going to be an incentive after 3 years if the job is as full on as it is made out to be? Surely the money could be better spent on better working conditions?