to think that the advantage of a classical education is that it enables you

[grovel]

in later life to despise the riches which it prevents you from attaining?

Of course I assume OP you have had the aforementioned education, and if not you must be very rich? Or guessing? Or misquoting?

I had the aforementioned education and am fabulously rich.

IME it's v useful as a basis for learning all sorts of other languages.

Oh I don't know, I've always done quite well out of mine.

What is your point and what is your evidence?

My DH seems to think the advantage of his education, which forced him to do Latin rather than Biology, is to be able to ensure DD avoids the same mistake.

He reckons it was a complete and utter waste of time.

Horses for courses. If you're a linguist, fine; if you're a scientist don't bother.

I have O Level Latin. I taught my DDs to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in Latin, which probably makes me a bit of a knob. I only got a B, so therefore I am rather fond of the riches I have and wouldn't mind a few more.

sue52 Please post the words!

Excuse spelling Andrewofgg, I left school over 4o years ago.
Mica mica parva stella
Miror quaenam sis tam bella

So did I Sue52 but it wasn't the same school unless one of us has had major surgery . . . I'm guessing that you are '52 vintage. Like me. A very good year.

I did O-level Latin and loathed it. However in retrospect I'm quite glad I did, not only for snob points but as a scientist it did actually prove pretty useful, the vocab if nothing else.

I'm a Classics teacher, so my classical education has allowed me to attain all my (meagre) riches! I just wish I'd started learning it earlier - educated in state system and only had the chance to do Classical Civilisation at A Level, and Latin/Greek at uni. It's great fun.

I have found Greek more useful - especially when decoding Quackspeak which is more often of Greek than of Latin origin.

Highly unlikely, the nuns kicked the boys out once they turned 7. My DD has just told me you can find the Latin for a few nursery rhymes on wikipedia. Aren't young folk usefull.

VideoEtTaceo Vides et taces sed scribes!

bonus bona bonum, magnus magna magnum - all I can remember and just makes me think of Moronic 'rock' star, dead presenter of mastermind and chocolate ice creams!

well, since latin and greek haven't been taught in the state sector for decades, it's unlikely that we will have to worry about it. All those darned Europeans will be able to read their classical and medieval latin texts, be more aware of their history and heritage and laugh at us for being pig-ignorant.

Happily we can still teach our DC though, might give them an edge some day.

DS wants to do Latin GCSE. I can see the point of learning it for understanding some scientific language, and because it teaches various aspects of one culture in depth, which GCSE History doesn't.

But according to some list that was posted on MN a while back, Latin is the hardest subject at GCSE. So I would rather he didn't take it.

Latin is taught in the state sector in some schools.

Didn't hurt <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=boris+johnson+quotes&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1208&bih=643&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnso&tbnid=Q71tOjlGYBJ20M:&imgrefurl=www.twotsi.com/boris-johnson&docid=QlUOtqvq04Q1jM&w=374&h=508&ei=W32UTsfpJczE8QP07rT1Bg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=605&vpy=125&dur=388&hovh=262&hovw=193&tx=107&ty=120&page=1&tbnh=137&tbnw=104&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">him

DD is taking Latin and Classical Civilisation at a state school. It has been taught there for decades.

That picture of Boris is making me regret lunch.

I want to move to get DS into a Classical Academy in our state. But we can't. :(

I am a state school Latin teacher, furthermore I was educated in the state sector and did both Latin and Greek before going to university.

VideoEtTaceo- salve fellow Classics teacher!

In answer to grovel's original question, I am not wealthy, nor do I despise wealth.

I can see the point of learning it for understanding some scientific language,

as a scientists, DH has never found he has the slightest advantage over me by virtue of learning Latin. If you need to learn a technical term, you learn it, not a big deal, and the grammar (which I assume is the hard part) is irrelevant. Whereas he would have found Biology - oh,and the physical aspects of Geography - quite useful. He is a bit jealous of my plebian education.