Oliver Prior society 2015 After dinner talk

Transcript:Oliver Prior society 2015 After dinner talk:
Oliver Prior society 2015 After dinner talk Language Centre Jocelyn Wyburd, Director of the Language Centre, University of Cambridge Chair: University Council of Modern Languages (UCML) Chair: National Advisory Board, Routes into Languages Preamble It is said one shouldn’t talk politics and religion at dinner But this is an election year We are a group of language professionals How can we not address the politics of languages in 2015 Britain Context for schools: Political footballing by the Secretaries of State for Education “Syllabi/exams not fit for purpose” – said as your pupils sat their GCSEs 2 years ago Recently announced: you have to teach “character”, “grit”, “resilience” – well if your pupils go on to become teachers they will certainly need grit and resilience! Constantly changing performance criteria (EBacc, Progress 8) and Tories have pledged future enforcement of Ebacc via Ofsted Primary languages introduced (after 4 year delay in policy of previous government) without CPD or support for progression to secondary National curriculum changes – but simultaneously there is a push → more and more Academies/Free schools who don’t have to teach it! Political footballing in Higher Education Student fees – (probably responsible for the demise of the Lib Dems) Driving a consumerist, market-driven approach to supply and demand of university programmes International students included in immigration figures and recruitment negatively affected by constant changes to visa application systems Current controversy over whether universities should control/ban controversial speakers on campuses in order to prevent radicalisation What consequences for freedom of academic debate and the right to hear uncomfortable views but to be able to argue with them? Political footballing around languages Optionality at Key Stage 4 from 2004 resulting in league table performance trumping sound educational principles by many heads when deciding who will/won’t continue with languages Result: haemorrhage (Dearing Report, 2007) 2002 decision on ‘flexible curriculum’ had been made in order to combat truancy (admitted by Estelle Morris in 2009) – no evidence that truancy figures improved as a result: "it certainly was never intended that all and sundry would drop studying languages“ (Estelle Morris) Creeping elitism – language learning take-up in state vs independent schools; decline in HE languages greatest in ‘post 92’ universities As an aside re languages in HE …. Due to declining applications, numbers of UK universities offering single or joint honours degrees in French, German, Spanish and Italian, since 1998: All: -34%; German: -49%;