The importance of Modern Foreign Languages

I have received the following message from a secondary school teacher in Grimsby called Pat Holland, which makes a well argued point about the worrying state of Modern Languages teaching in our schools, and deserves wider circulation:

"I am in my final year (before retirement) of teaching French and German and have found the last few years very depressing. It has seemed strangely ironic that under Blair, who was supposedly pro-Europe and a French speaker, language teaching shrank, became optional, and lost status and teaching time. When I complained about this to the education department I was told that introducing languages into primary schools was going to bring about a renaissance in MFL learning; sadly, I'm old enough to remember how little impact the Schools Council project made in primary schools in the 70s, and how badly delivered it was by inexpert teachers. Although current colleagues in the primary sector seem full of good will and enthusiasm, the vicious circle of neglect of language teaching means that few of them have good enough language skills to deliver the curriculum effectively.

As I'm sure you're aware, MFL teachers play a most crucial role in teaching tolerance of other cultures. The rapid disappearance of German from state schools means we no longer have a chance to counter lingering prejudices from World War Two, and the lack of exchanges brought about by health and safety fears and the expense of covering teachers means that pupils now miss out on a life-changing experience which teaches self-reliance, linguisitic skill and tolerance. Reduced lesson time (in my school now only two hours per week) means that we have less time for songs, sketches and other creative activities.... All of this depresses me greatly, because it seems that MFL are becoming the preserve of Grammar and Public schools, and that a broad curriculum for all is a dead concept in comprehensive schools, to which so many of us 'baby-boomers' devoted our careers."

I was delighted to accept an invite from Birmingham University to debate against two Party leaders, (albeit from pseudo parties) UKIP’s Nigel Farage and Veritas’ Patrick Eston, the motion that “This house believes Britain should leave the EU”.

However, Nigel Farage pulled out at the last minute, claiming he couldn’t get there in time from Brussels (although that’s precisely where I came from).

The debate had been widely advertised on Eurosceptic websites such as those of Veritas, Conservative Future but their attempts to pack the audience in their favour did not pay off with an overwhelming majority opposing the motion at the end of the debate (with, I am delighted to say, a swing in our favour if you compare the votes before and after). Many of the students in the audience were well informed about the EU and a thoroughly enjoyable and lively debate was held. Peter Luff, of the European Movement, also spoke on my side.

I was also intrigued to hear the latest Eurosceptic argument that claimed the EU is undemocratic because in the Council of Ministers, one country can halt the will of 26 others by using their veto – not something hitherto from the Eurosceptic side!

UKIP have spent the past few months attempting to convince people that they are not just a one issue party and take an interest in domestic matters. However, in doing this they have not lost the capacity for spreading myth and outrageously distorting the truth.

The latest example is their Yorkshire MEP Godfrey Bloom "uncovering" that 11 schools in York use fingerprint recognition and getting his knickers in a twist that this is indicative of Orwellesque totalitarianism. With characteristic understatement, Godfrey said "it's like 1984", adding that "we really have reached a low when we are fingerprinting children at primary schools". The Daily Express described this as "a scandal" and an attack on civil liberties, while the Daily Star reported the 'story' under the lurid headline "Terror test for 5 year olds". All this conjurs up images of a police state.

The problem is that if Godfrey, the Express or the Daily Star had bothered to check out the facts behind the 'story' they would merely learn that the 11 schools are using electronic fingerprint recognition, instead of membership cards, for their library services. Moreover, all but one of the schools in question had informed parents in advance of implementing the system, while the school in question, Manor CE, introduced the thumbprint recognition scheme on the recommendation of the pupils themselves! Indeed, Manor's head, Brian Crosby, responding to the furore in the York Press, expressed amazement that anybody could be so upset by a school using such a library system, pointing out that it is much easier and quicker for pupils who don't have to worry about always carrying (and possibly losing) library cards and that the school's library system is not connected to any other network.

Mr Crosby adds that this new technology has allowed the school's learning resource centre to be transformed, is popular with students, and has helped them to achieve excellent literacy results, while the education authority in York has sent out a letter to schools supporting the system so long as parental approval is sought.

This is simply a case where modern technology is being used to assist children in their learning rather than a sinister attempt to condition them to hand over their privacy. Bloom's attempt to distort what is good news for schools, parents and pupils is yet another example of his party's breathtaking cynicism.

Phillip Davies has stooped to a new low in his latest ranting, and shame on the Yorkshire Post for continuing to give his rabid views such credence and prominence!

You may have seen yesterday’s “exclusive” story. In line with cubed strawberries, straight bananas and banning church organs, apparently the EU is now “trying to brainwash children in the classroom”

The issue that Davies, Godfrey Bloom and chums have highlighted is that the European Parliament has sent information packs (entitled “The European Parliament – What’s that?”) to teachers, to help them explain its purpose and role. Shock Horror! There is no politics here, just a simple and informative guide on how the European Parliament works, and what its MEPs – from whatever party they come from – can do.

Our schools have citizenship classes to teach young people how the world around them works. They learn about how local Councillors make decisions on their behalf, how MPs make decisions on their behalf, and now how MEPs make decisions on their behalf, as well as how they can get involved in the democratic process. Whatever you think about your Council, the government or the EU, people need to know how they actually work.

Let’s be absolutely clear on this. The exaggerated success of the Eurosceptics comes from their uncanny ability to run campaigns of misinformation. The sole reason why Davies is so upset with this move, is because he knows that education is his enemy. The more people know of the EU, the less they will believe his stories.

For purposes of openness, tomorrow I will put an electronic version of the information pack on to my website so that you can all make up your own minds.

UPDATE : You can now read the information pack for yourselves here.

Congratualtions to Clare Burke, of Bradford Grammar School, who won this year’s British Council’s competition “What the EU has done for me”.

The competition is in its second year and Clare’s excellent essay means Yorkshire once again has a winner, after Simon Quarrell from Notre Dame High School, Sheffield claimed one of the prizes last year.

Along with three other winners from the UK, and three from Finland, Clare’s prize was an all expenses paid trip to this week's EU summit as a young journalist.

You can read Clare’s essay, along with the other winners of the competition on the British Council’s website here.

The Daily Mail is outraged by the government’s plans to teach school children the benefits of the EU. Predictably, and right on cue, Christopher Brooker accuses Europe Minister Geoff Hoon of attempting to brainwash our children.

Of course there is no mention of the veritable mountain of lies the Daily Mail (and the rest of the Eurosceptic media) has published in its efforts to deride the EU, which far more justifiably deserves the term brainwashing.

And, of course, on closer inspection, all the government is suggesting is that the school curriculum should not just teach children how national and local government functions, but also how the EU functions. Now, why would anyone want be against that? Unless, that is, they want to hide how it works so that people continue to believe the myths and lies that they spread.

A recent survey revealed 85 per cent of UK citizens admitted they know little or nothing about the EU. With this in mind I highly recommended people take a look at the Britain in the EU website and pass it on to their friends.

It offers a simple explanation of how the EU works and the benefits it brings to Britain and even offers a one-minute guide to those who only want to know the very basics.

Also, by clicking here you can access details of the Europe Direct information centre for Yorkshire, based in Leeds. The purpose of this is to offer a platform for citizens to make enquiries about the EU and raise issues with the Commission.

I will also take this opportunity to plug my website which also provides plenty of information on how the EU, and in particular the Parliament, works.

Britain in Europe: www.europe.org.uk

EU attitudes in the UK survey: www.europe.org.uk/info/documents/1063.pdf

Europe Direct, Leeds: www.europe.org.uk/regions/contact/-/id/21345/

My website: www.richardcorbett.org.uk

I was reading some of the questions put to Douglas Alexander (Minister of State for Europe) on a BBC online forum today. Some people asked some interesting and probing questions regarding the future of the EU, the constitution and its relevance, and it was good to see such a level of engagement.

However, many contributions displayed a worryingly low level of basic information and knowledge about the EU actually works. It was also notable that the lower the information level, the more Eurosceptic the attitude (in most cases).

It is clear why Eurosceptic campaigers want to keep the level of information low. They have consistently opposed proposals to increase public information materials and to include teaching about how the EU works (just as we teach how national and local government works) in schools.

Until this happens, we will always have to deal with ill-informed rants about how “unelected bureaucrats in Brussels have replaced our own Sovereignty”.

I was delighted to see that Commissioner Margot Wallström, the Vice President of the European Commission who hails from Sweden, has responded vigorously to the criticism of Tory leader Timothy Kirkhope MEP.

Unbelievably, Kirkhope had actually objected to suggestions that, in the national curriculum, schools should be required to teach children how local government, national government and EU institutions work! Local and national information was fine, but the inclusion of the European Union was labelled "brainwashing".

We should stop and think - what have the eurosceptics got to be afraid of if they allow our children to be taught about how the EU works?

Anyway, Wallström replied:

"I find it absolutely appalling. What do they mean? Should we keep it a secret that these institutions actually exist and take decisions that affect the daily lives of all European citizens? We teach people about our national political systems and decision making structures, of course they have to know what happens at the European level."

She went on to point out that "if more people knew about the CAP, maybe then we could reform it quicker".

Well done Margot!