The school subjects being ditched at ‘catastrophic’ levels in the UK
A new report by the Higher Education Policy Institute shows a catastrophic drop in formal language learning in the UK’s schools and universities.
The report shows only 2.97% of A-Levels taken in 2024 were for Modern Foreign Languages, Classical Subjects, Welsh (Second Language) and Irish. In addition, there are now more A-Level entries for Physical Education than for French, German and Classical Languages combined.
Since 2014, 17 post-1992 universities have lost their modern languages degrees, bringing the total closures to 28 and leaving modern languages in just 10.
“Language learning is facing new challenges. There is a common misconception that Google Translate and now AI tools are making language capabilities redundant,” said Megan Bowler, the author of the report and a DPhil student in Classics at the University of Oxford.
“On the contrary, the skills and intellectual values that a ‘linguistic mindset’ can instil are even more important in this age of rapid technological change.”
She noted that close and critical analysis, oracy, cultural adaptability, creative problem-solving, precision and clarity of expression are exactly what ChatGPT struggles to replace.
“In the UK, Languages disciplines are facing a vicious cycle. For the majority of schools, problems with teacher recruitment are leading to even lower rates of participation in language learning. Low uptake in higher education is leading to cuts in university language provision and degree programmes.
“The shortage of language skills is holding employers back, and the teacher recruitment crisis continues worsening. Intervention and investment are needed to prevent a critical skills deficit,” she said.
The paper includes a Foreword by the Rt Hon. Nick Gibb, the former Minister for Schools, and ends with several clear recommendations for reversing the decline:
- Action on teacher recruitment, such as reinstating the international relocation payment for trainee teachers.
- Better qualification pathways, such as making language-learning opportunities a statutory entitlement for pupils up to 18 (with a new Level 3 certificate in Applied Languages) and, in England, keeping a language GCSE as a requirement for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which is an important school accountability measure.
- Supporting British Sign Language (BSL), including adopting a clear plan for staffing and resources to ensure the success of the forthcoming GCSE in BSL.
- Making languages a priority in higher education, including strengthening language provision through more joint provision with other departments or with language specialists at other institutions.
- Improving the oversight of languages in higher education, rather than relying on the changing vagaries of student demand, with a view to preserving provision for small-but-strategically-important languages.
