The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Languages was
re-formed for the new Parliament in July. The group has a new chair:
Nia Griffith, the MP for Llanelli, who is a languages graduate and
former schools inspector, and speaks five languages. Baroness
Coussins will be continuing her active championing of languages as
Co-Chair, meaning that the group will now have strong representation
in both Houses of Parliament.
One of the group's priorities for the coming year is to look at
reforms to the curriculum and examinations, particularly whether
statutory primary languages is working; the effectiveness of the Ebacc
and Progress 8 measures in increasing take-up at GCSE and A Level;
and the examinations themselves.
At its July meeting the APPG looked at areas in England where
primary schools have begun to organise themselves to work together
in partnerships, with some excellent examples from Hertfordshire,
Suffolk and the North West. By working together, schools are able to
ensure good CPD is available to their teachers, and to provide
meaningful progression and assessment, with a view to facilitating
effective transition to secondary schools.
However there remain some glaring challenges in the way of
successful primary languages – for instance, the fact that languages
are not mentioned in the Ofsted inspection handbook for KS2 (ages
7-11) and that Ofsted no longer has a subject-specific inspector at
this time of great change. The APPG planned to raise both of these
issues in Parliament following the summer recess.
The group is currently considering priority areas for the coming
year, which may include issues with teacher supply and the
emergence of 1+2 language policies in Scotland and Wales.
With support from readers of The Linguist, the APPG has been
campaigning for the protection of exams in smaller-entry languages,
such as Japanese, Arabic, Turkish, Polish and Panjabi, and on 22 July,
Schools Minister Nick Gibb announced that the Department for
Education (DfE) will be working closely with exam boards to secure
the future of these qualifications. The APPG will continue to offer its
support until solutions are agreed.
Email philip.harding.esch@gmail.com to attend the next meeting
or to receive details of the speakers.
Inside parliament
6 The Linguist Vol/54 No/5 2015
NEWS & EDITORIAL
Exam Assessors
IoLEDUCATIONALTRUST
We are looking for Exam Assessors
in the following languages:
ALBANIAN
DUTCH INDONESIAN
KOREAN KURDISH(SORANI)
MIRPURI(URDU) NEPALESE PASHTO
SOMALI THAI URDU VIETNAMESE
Applicants should be native speakers of
the language they are applying for and
also have an excellent command of English.
To find out more and apply please visit
www.ciol.org.uk > home > jobs
or call 020 7940 3100
Philip Harding-Esch on
the priorities of the All-Party
Group in the new Parliament
Philip Harding-Esch works on behalf of the British
Council to support the APPG on Modern Languages.
TL
©
SHUTTERSTOCK
