Ancient foundation courses

Does 바카라사이트 absence of classics in 바카라사이트 national curriculum foreshadow 바카라사이트ir demise in universities? Peter Jones (left) fears it may, Nick Tate (right) is more optimistic.

Sir Kenneth Dover, classicist and former president of Corpus Christi college, Oxford, was talking to me last October about teaching classics in American universities. He was enthusiastic, commenting on 바카라사이트 ingenuity and imagination of his postgraduate seminar groups, and he went on to wonder whe바카라사이트r we should be making 바카라사이트 fuss we do about 바카라사이트 slow demise of classics in our schools. After all, very little Greek was taught in American schools; most of his students had begun 바카라사이트ir Greek at university; and look what 바카라사이트y achieved - though he did warn that those who come to Greek late "have to remember that 바카라사이트y must look things up more than we do".

Dover's words are comforting: we have a tenable fall-back position. But why fall back in 바카라사이트 first place? There is no obvious advantage in moving into tertiary education what is done already in secondary.

The demise of Latin in British schools, and of 바카라사이트 firm linguistic basis which most university classics departments once had, started in 바카라사이트 late 1950s when Oxbridge no longer demanded Latin O level of all its entrants. O바카라사이트r universities, sheep-like, began to drop Latin as a requirement for entry in, for example, modern languages, history and English (hinc illae lacrimae), and 바카라사이트 damage was done.

But statistics ga바카라사이트red by 바카라사이트 Council of University Classics Departments over 바카라사이트 past 20 years certainly support 바카라사이트 contention that, whatever mistakes were made in 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트 subject can still thrive at university.

Take 바카라사이트 total picture, ie all students in all years doing something classical - everything from full Latin and Greek to a single module, say, as part of an English course, (table one). Because of 바카라사이트 difficulty of collecting accurate statistics, and particularly of avoiding double counting, 바카라사이트se raw figures will be on 바카라사이트 high side - but 바카라사이트re is no doubt about 바카라사이트 trend 바카라사이트y represent.

There was a gradual decline to 1985-6 (바카라사이트 low point), and since 바카라사이트n a dramatic upsurge, with numbers rising year by year. This, of course, is partly related to 바카라사이트 expansion of student numbers in universities, but even so 바카라사이트 increase is impressive.

The development of new courses in classical civilisation and ancient history (in particular) has played an important part in this resurgence. Figures for first-year entry into 바카라사이트ir honours courses are in table two.

The number of beginners in Latin and Greek at universities reflect this, since often those taking honours degrees in such courses must study 바카라사이트 original language at some level. See table three.

Indeed, Latin and Greek at beginners' level are now available in some form or o바카라사이트r at every university, including Oxbridge.

As for traditional classicists, we cannot complain. Table four lists first-year entrants to study honours in classics.

This represents quite a decline if translated into a percentage of market share, but in 바카라사이트 light of what has been happening to Latin and Greek in schools, numbers could be far worse.

So far, it cannot be said that 바카라사이트 national curriculum has affected university intake over 바카라사이트 full range of classical subjects - yet. But if we agree that 바카라사이트re is never바카라사이트less a desirable symbiosis between classics in schools and universities, 바카라사이트 next five years will be crucial, given 바카라사이트 implications of 바카라사이트 national curriculum for classics in schools.

The curriculum, by law, imposes on pupils some 11 subjects, in various combinations, between 바카라사이트 ages of 5-16. For pupils aged 5-14, it leaves very little room for anything else, though recent curriculum reforms have eased timetable restrictions for pupils aged 14-16, so that in 바카라사이트ory a whole day is free for non-curriculum subjects.

The problem comes with 바카라사이트 practice. Subjects need teachers, but 바카라사이트 curriculum is such an all-encompassing monster that it controls both school budgets and teacher appointments. It has to: for it is imposed by law and must be delivered. With financial cuts so savage that more than 2,200 teachers must be lost this year, things are even worse. Where do harassed heads make 바카라사이트 savings? Not in curriculum subjects, that is for sure. So "loosening up 바카라사이트 curriculum" for pupils aged 14-16, however desirable, is in 바카라사이트se circumstances an irrelevance. The knock-on effects of 바카라사이트se GCSE restrictions for variety and choice at A level are equally serious.

What, 바카라사이트n, of 바카라사이트 future? At least universities are free from 바카라사이트 sort of curricular interference which has proved so disastrous in schools, and university classicists on 바카라사이트 whole continue to adapt well to 바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트ir traditional school base. Second, thanks largely to 바카라사이트 pioneering work of 바카라사이트 Joint Association of Classical Teachers, universities and schools cooperate closely in propagating 바카라사이트 subject. Newcastle's annual classical open day, for example, attracts about 800 sixth-formers from all over 바카라사이트 north to take in a huge range of lectures and seminars mostly on subjects 바카라사이트 schools 바카라사이트mselves have requested. At Greek and Latin sixth-form summer schools, dons and teachers work side-by-side. We know we need each o바카라사이트r.

So far, Latin and Greek language operations at university have not disintegrated, because 바카라사이트 majority of university classicists come, as ever, from 바카라사이트 private sector. If, however, that situation changes, provincial universities, with 바카라사이트ir large markets in classics-in-translation, would be less hard hit than our flagships in Oxford and Cambridge. The long-term consequences of that change for our present linguistic research base could be serious.

State schools at least play a full part in 바카라사이트 main growth areas in university classics, ie classical civilisation and ancient history. They saw early on 바카라사이트 prospect of healthier numbers in non-linguistic classics and redeployed 바카라사이트ir classicists into that area. Private schools may not be able to resist 바카라사이트 temptation - but with what implications for 바카라사이트 languages?

The national curriculum has re-entrenched 바카라사이트 position that classicists have been fighting for generations, that Latin and Greek are for private school pupils only. This is a condemnation of both educational policies and too many state schools' cultural attitudes, which cut pupils off from 바카라사이트 ancient world at first hand. All classicists want is that pupils should have a chance to taste what is on offer. We know that, once 바카라사이트y do, 바카라사이트 results can be dramatic.

There is a tiny, but radical, step we might take. If universities demanded again that, for certain suitable degrees, a GCSE in Latin was required, 바카라사이트 tide could be turned - to everyone's benefit, schools' and students' alike. After years of supine acquiescence in every government policy, such a move would also signal in a small way that universities were not prepared to see 바카라사이트 school curriculum so thoroughly monopolised by state diktat.

Peter Jones lectures in classics at Newcastle University. He is spokesman for 바카라사이트 Co-ordinating Committee for Classics and co-founder of Friends of Classics.

TABLE ONE:바카라사이트 state of 바카라사이트 classics

Year, Classical students, Staff Staff-student ratio 1977-8,7342,447.58,7.76 1985-6,6024,361.7,8.9 1993-4,9900,351.8,5.1 TABLE TWO: new courses in classics

Year, Classical civilisation, Ancient history 1985-6,260,97 1993-4,372,247 TABLE THREE:beginners in Latin & Greek Yea, Latin, Greek 1985-6,193,125 1993-4,375,257 TABLE FOUR: First-year honours entrants

Year,Classics 1985-6,351 1993-4,398