I think there is room for discussion as to whether there is space for a profession-based examination independent of the state examinations, which are subject to political vagaries.   more »

The OCR exam board is devising the ancient history GCSE to cater for a surge in interest in the Romans and ancient Greeks.   more »

I've just had an email from someone teaching in an international college in this country which made me sit up and raise a silent cheer:   more »

It was occasioned by the decision to abolish oral exams in modern languages, and is headed 'Never say Latin in the quango tango'.   more »

The demand for Latin teachers in schools is going up, while the supply is going down. "Universities aren't producing enough, so we're all scrabbling around for the same people," says Andrew Hutchinson, headteacher at Parkside Community College in Cambridge - a comprehensive serving the centre of the city.   more »

BBC News carries an item which points out that although Latin is now being taught in twice as many state schools, the lack of teacher training courses is hampering schools who want to offer Latin at exam level.   more »

2The demand is there alright: it is the government-imposed strangling of the supply that is so damaging to the subject and unfair to pupils."   more »

We should like to draw your attention to the document which you will find at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2007/07_27/07_27.pdf This, in our view, is a direct attack on lifelong learning and all the classics courses available there. Please do respond if you feel able to do so.   more »

"Since my school now wishes to give pupils National Curriculum levels for all subjects I have been asking teachers whether they have any experience of, or advice about, these with regard to Latin."   more »

It's been brought to my attention that under the new specification the set books for AS and A2 are different.   more »

Our President is to meet OCR next week to discuss GCSE changes. She sends this message:   more »

Washington Latin, a charter school with a classics-based curriculum that attracted parents in droves when it opened last year, is embroiled in turmoil over a plan to accept more students and move from its Upper Northwest location to downtown Washington.   more »

So we may welcome OFSTED's report which has been widely covered today.   more »

The following report in The Observer yesterday sent me to my filing cabinet to fish out my own A level papers from 1953:   more »

The Guardian's report today on curriculum changes includes History and Languages sections that seem to leave some place for the Roman Empire (under History) and perhaps a Classical language   more »

This item may not have a place in this blog, but since it supports what I have maintained since the opening of Kidbrook Comprehensive School, that small(ish) is beautiful in schools, I indulge myself.   more »

The new Education Secretary seems to have a background in economics. The big question is whether he has the self-control to refrain from meddling in the education system.   more »

"Essentially a post-Blair A-level is worth a whole grade less than a pre-Blair A-level."   more »

The intention to include a modern language in future was a recommendation of the Dearing review into the sharp decline that came after language study was made optional beyond the age of 14. The intention is that the indicator will feature in the 2008 tables. It will not, however, include classical languages,   more »

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has issued its proposals for GCSE Latin criteria, and there are important changes.   more »

Hidden away in a report of a 100% score in the Introduction to Latin National Exam, achieved by a 15 year old in Annapolis, is this chilling sentence:   more »

There will be a demonstration outside the House of Commons on Monday, 14th May 2007, from 5:00pm – 7:00pm to protest about the proposed scrapping of the Ancient History A-Level.   more »

To someone used to the centralised elective dictatorship of UK education, this glimpse of democracy in action in New York State comes like a breath of air from another planet.   more »

On the A level front, there has been a lot of activity, including a parliamentary debate. The story so far is that the only exam board to offer Ancient History at A level is proposing to abolish it, and put a wee bit of history into some other A level.   more »

The Master of the Queen's Music has had the temerity to suggest that pop music is not as valuable as classical music, no matter what the government says.   more »

This is the petition on the Downing Street website against dropping Ancient History A level.

To add your name, visit ...   more »

A secret document sent to Government officials by the Dearing Languages Review, an influential inquiry into language teaching, reveals that Latin and Greek were excluded from the list of languages that schools will be encouraged to study because they are "dead languages" that contribute nothing to "intercultural understanding".   more »

Ancient history will disappear as an A-level if recommendations from an examination board are approved later this year.   more »

This suggestion by QCA reveals what, in officialdom's eyes, testing is for. It is not to benefit the pupils but to enable faceless civil servants to compile statistics.   more »

Tomorrow's Times carries a piece by someone called Natalie Haynes reacting to the news that it's harder to get an A in Latin than in any other GCSE.   more »

Make sure Latin and Greek are included in this new government initiative. Minimus has a proven track record in primary schools. It should be a key part of primary language provision.   more »

According to Dr Coe's research, Latin is the most difficult exam followed by German, Spanish and French. The easiest for top-grade passes are sport/PE, design and technology (textiles), drama and the often-criticised media studies. He noted that there was more than a grade's difference between the hardest and easiest subjects.   more »

The suggestion of Grade conversion, so that an A in Latin would have greater weighting than one in Sport/PE, has now been publicly raised. The government and QCA now risk being seen in the same light as Bush's administration; just as Bush refused to accept scientific evidence of global warming and   more »