That £4m on Latin lessons should be spent on a modern foreign language

[newnortherner111]

www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/latin-state-schools-england-williamson-b1894202.html

Latest idea from the Education Secretary. Given that the Prime Minister has been in a Catholic church at least once, did he not tell Gavin Williamson that the Catholic Mass is usually in the local language now, and has been for over 50 years?

Encouraging learning Spanish for example would be much better and actually have a use in real life.

I did Latin GCSE and it's been one of the most useful of my subjects. It's the root of so many of our words and of other languages as well. We use Latin phrases in English (caveat emptor, habeus corpus, et cetera..)
It's really really useful.
But of course there are other things in the education system which should be a priority..studying Latin in and of itself is not a bad idea though.

My sister and I both got Latin GCSEs from a state school. I loved the subject. It gave me an amazing grounding in MFLs as well as a lifelong passion in the etymology of words. I've gone on to learn French, Spanish and Italian thanks to an amazing Latin teacher who was truly passionate about the language, culture and history of this incredible period.

@MySecretHistory

Caecilius est in horto

That is one of the few phrases I remember from my Latin over 40 years ago. The other is “canis est in via”&

I'm delighted. As others have said, Latin is far from dead and gives students the roots of some 60% of their own language. And it's really interesting as well.

@BabyRace

Of course but the stuck up private school bastards have absolutely no idea how the education system, nor the real world, actually works. Good luck finding Latin teachers when they can't keep enough maths, science or geography teachers. How do they expect to fill a timetable? Utterly ridiculous

Stuck up private school bastards??? Goodness, you’re not bitter at all!!

@MySecretHistory

Caecilius est in horto

My DS is studying Latin now using the same Cambridge Latin course that I (and everyone else!) did. He's just got to the traumatic Pompeii lesson! I have such vivid memories of listening to that on tape when I was a teenager.

@Stoolpigeon21

Or improving SEND provision

The £4m may come from the SEND budget.

There is no magic money tree in education

I studied Latin at school, when I moved to Spain (speaking very little Spanish) my Latin helped me learn the language far quicker than my ExDH managed without it.

Not only does it help with MFL learning but it also helps with other subjects including English as well as for general knowledge of the entomology of different words.

As part of the Latin curriculum you are also introduced to various other areas of learning - art, literature, history, culture etc - that all have their own benefits to a more rounded education.

Another one who studied Latin at state school here. Incredibly useful language, and Grumio's madcap antics should be available to all.

Total turnaround. I remember Latin being scrapped from the curriculum when I was 14 as it was considered irrelevant for a modern education.

Latin is fab. It's the root of European languages and hugely useful for comprehension I'd advise Latin for anyone who plans to study medicine. It makes things so much easier.

Those that think that Latin isn't worthwhile or shouldn't be introduced - did you learn latin at schools yourselves? just curious to hear from someone that learnt latin and didn't see the point?

Understanding Latin makes most other modern languages much easier.

I like the Latin courses on duo lingo!

I learnt Latin at a state school. Loved it and it really helped with Learning other languages. I hope my DC get the chance.

Just to say as a Latin teacher how lovely it is to read these replies! I went to a state school which didn’t offer Latin; I ended up studying it after my A Levels and at uni and I so wish all pupils had the option of at least trying it. I can understand the knee jerk reaction of thinking it is not the most relevant content subject (though really I think that can be applied to the majority of subjects for most people studying them - not many people refer to Shakespeare in their every day lives for instance but people rarely argue that is a useless timetable slot) but the skills it teaches you are invaluable and applicable to everyone - and what you study is enriching and wonderful. It’s disheartening when people dismiss it as outdated or elitist.

I did Latin GCSEs at a comprehensive school. It was an extension on a course on the origins of words and study skills.

I found Latin useful for going around museums in Spain where the languages of the displays where only Catalan or Castilian.

Its not that long that we were told to remove latin from our curriculum as it wasn't needed in a state school.

I think Latin would be great.

I learnt German in school and have no desire to go to Germany in honesty, so it's not like whatever you learn necessary has uses; I see it more as it teaches you the skills to learn a new language as much as the actual language itself. Latin is great for that.

I think it's an excellent move, for all the reasons given above.
Anyone else of the ‘Civis Romanus’ generation? BC (before Cambridge).

Latin is as useful in the real world as advanced mathematics, chemistry or drama.
I.e it is useful to some and not to others.
Actually, the one place it is useful I with learning modern foreign languages. Like Spanish…… or Italian or french….

Gosh how did I forget Res ipsa loquitur...

One of the first Latin terms I learned on my law degree and my favourite

www.clc.cambridgescp.com/sites/www.cambridgescp.com/files/legacy_root_files/singles/expall2/expnew.html?fn=ets1uk0&mn=1627759994

For anyone who feels like nostalgic for Cambridge Latin. I am absurdly pleased to have scored 10/10 on the vocabulary test.

My new theory for the Government’s plan to reintroduce Latin, is that Gavin Williamson is friends with the CEO of the publishers of the Cambridge Latin course and this is a means of redirecting Government funds to one of his cronies.

I studied latin. It was fun but not hugely useful to me.

Though to be fair a lot of the mathematics I learnt haven't been hugely useful to me either.

I have nothing against it being taught in school but I don't see it as a priority.

I'm also confused by people saying it makes learning other languages so much easier. Latin would really only be relevant to spanish, italian, portuguese and french. Not really helpful if you're learning German, Finnish or Russian. And if your end goal is to learn spanish you might as well just start with that.

I loved learning Latin at school, and I use skills I learned from studying it often in daily life. It's hugely beneficial, and not just for daftness like reading Harry Potter or Winnie the Pooh in Latin