West Midlands Liberal Democrats - Campaigning across Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the Metropolitan West Midlands - Media Enquiries - Please Contact Ben Jephcott on 07966 514982

Ministers must be realistic over Mandarin proposals - Teather

8.38.32pm GMT Mon 5th Feb 2007

Commenting on proposals to allow secondary schools to teach languages such as Mandarin or Arabic instead of EU languages, Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary, Sarah Teather MP said:

"Broadening the curriculum to encompass other languages is welcome.

"But ministers need to be realistic; French and German have been taught in our schools for decades and we still can't recruit enough fully qualified teachers.

Sarah Teather (photography: Sarah Teather)

"How precisely do they intend to tempt enough Mandarin and Arabic graduates to offer the choice to all children and not just those in the most privileged schools?"

Applicability: this item refers to England and Wales. Due to devolution, detailed policy may be different in other areas of the UK.

Bookmark this story at: del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg FacebookFacebook LibDigLibDig redditreddit StumbleUponStumbleUpon
Print this news story.
Comment on this news story.
Previous news story: Prison violence has exploded due to Labour mismanagement - Campbell (Mon 5th Feb 2007).
Next news story: Liz Lynne stands with the Kashmiri people in Birmingham (Mon 5th Feb 2007).

Printed and hosted by Prater Raines Ltd, 82b Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BX.
Published and promoted by West Midlands Liberal Democrats, 53 Chawn Hill, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY9 7JA.
The views expressed are those of the party, not of the service provider.