Why should the government spend £4 million pounds introducing Latin into 40 state schools in some of the most deprived areas of England? Couldn’t this money be better spent directly supporting literacy and numeracy in our underfunded schools?
The education secretary’s announcement of a new Latin Excellence Programme has been treated with suspicion by many. While the motivations of the politicians could be questioned, the negativity towards the teaching of this “dead language” is unfair and unjustified in my opinion.
The benefits of learning Latin should not be dismissed. There is a reason why Latin has remained a staple of the curricula of many independent schools with 49 per cent of independent schools teaching the subject. The advantages to all students of learning Latin is also the reason why independent schools have put so much energy into widening access to Classics through partnerships with local state schools.
For example Streatham & Clapham High School GDST has introduced Latin to over 400 primary pupils in South London and has given the opportunity to 100 students from five local secondary schools to study GCSE Classical Civilisation. There are also charities such as Classics for All, which has worked tirelessly over the last 10 years to support Latin in over 1000 state schools, many in areas of disadvantage by providing free training for non-specialist teachers and resources.
One of the main draws of Latin, especially for primary schools, is its value in improving literacy. It has been widely acknowledged that learning the language can be a useful strategy in closing the vocabulary gap between “word rich” and “word poor” students, which is crucial in ensuring academic attainment for all.
“One of the main draws of Latin, especially for primary schools, is its value in improving literacy.”
Through knowledge of Latin prefixes, suffixes and vocabulary, the door to a range of English vocabulary is opened. This can also be applied to Romance languages, such as Spanish and French, which are commonly studied in schools, and enables students to draw important connections to aid learning.
For secondary students studying English, the advantages are also clear. Classical literature is intertwined in the texts studied on the English syllabus. Only those students who have been given access to the Classics are able to appreciate fully the significance of the references in English literature. Students should also not be denied  access to some of the greatest literature ever written! Few modern authors have surpassed the works of Virgil and Ovid.
As an inflected language, Latin also helps to develop logic, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These transferable skills are crucial to academic success both at school and in the future. More importantly, the challenge and thrill of working out the meaning of a sentence composed by a Roman thousands of years ago cannot be underestimated.
In getting to know the thoughts and feelings of humans who lived two millennia ago, we also learn more fully what it means to be human, giving us a new perspective from which to take a fresh look at our own society and lives.
“In getting to know the thoughts and feelings of humans who lived two millennia ago, we also learn more fully what it means to be human.”
Latin is for everybody and everyone has something to gain from engaging with this enriching and worthwhile study. The only way to ensure that the charge of “elitism” can no longer be levelled against Latin is to guarantee that new teachers are trained and it is adequately funded.
While the Department for Education’s programme still does not address the inequality of access to Latin that currently exists, it is a move in the right direction. Every student deserves the opportunity of being immersed in the rich literature, languages and cultures of the ancient world.  Hopefully, this will be a “Rubicon” moment and there will be no turning back. Alea iacta est…