Latin or economics gcse?

[Lfs2126]

Looking like last option may be between these 2 subjects. Would appreciate any advice please:)

Latin, every time. Fabulous work out for the brain, requires application, skills based. Massive help with any other language.

(am an English teacher & Classics grad who teaches GCSE Latin, so admittedly biased. Guilty as charged to Tunip's accusation of superkeenness!)

I loved Latin GCSE and think Economics is a subject to pick up at degree level.

The grammar was very useful with modern languages and with English, as was the vocabulary. It wasn't very different from the old O-level in those days and may well have changed since. It wasn't harder than other subjects though relied on a reasonable memory.

Latin was odd because we did literature - part of the Aeneid and some of Pliny's letters - which wasn't included in modern language GCSEs. The language was a bit beyond us so I remember learning it all in English and linking that to recognisable phrases in the Latin.

Latin for me. Watch Ferris Bueller for economics?

Thank you, Caoimhe I thought I was a lone voice there!

Totally agree with what you say. GCSE Economics is probably a real doddle - because you are starting the subject from a standing start as it is not taught in ks3. Financial education should be a core subject in ks3 from which students can opt to study 'proper' economics at ks4. I know that there was an attempt to include finance/economics into the national curriculum as a core many years ago but from what my dc are offered I think it has failed.

I have never understood why Economics is looked down upon as not rigorous and 'easy'. Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus and David Ricardo (founding fathers of economics as a discipline) all came before Darwin but as they were opening up a new way of studying something (society and economy) that never really existed before except as a branch of philosophy they have never been widely acknowledged with the pivotal role that the subject contributes to how we live today.

It is a shame that this continues today and students who want a challenge are discouraged from starting the subject from an earlier age because of this history. If GCSE Economics is too easy, why not offer AS as well?

As for Latin, I think it is a bit of a fashion at the moment, thanks to Gove et al, as something that all 'academic' students should aspire to studying. If you want a REAL classics challenge, they should study Ancient Greek

My DCs comp has offered Latin for years - its a way to stretch the top kids sideways.

Economics is indeed very hard - lock as the fuck up the professors made of their predictions in 2006.
BUT It is a subject that sits on top of others and should NOT be taught at school.

Yes, TimeChild, I agree that there should be some sort of financial education in KS3 but I would continue with it in KS4 and leave Economics to KS5 as at that stage children would have the background knowledge and mathematical skill to have a decent stab at it!

I don't believe anyone considers Economics to be easy or lacking in rigour at degree level (or if they do they should try sitting through an Econometrics lecture!)

I do agree that there seems to be a "fashion" for Latin. At GCSE level there seems to be a lot of rote learning.