New A-Level league tables to rank key subjects preferred by leading universities

With bated breath:

“The list of “key subjects” or so-called “facilitating subjects” includes : maths, further maths, English literature, physics, biology, chemistry, geography, history and modern or classical languages. 

Follow the story here:

More primary schools to offer Latin and ancient Greek

Good news!

Latin and ancient Greek are to make a comeback in state schools under Government plans to introduce compulsory language lessons for seven-year-olds.

All primary schools will be expected to teach foreign languages to pupils from 2014 as part of a major drive to boost education standards, it emerged.

At least one subject from a seven-strong shortlist – French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, Latin and ancient Greek – will be offered to seven- to 11-year-olds.

The move – outlined in a consultation document published by the Department for Education – could result in a major rise in the number of pupils studying the classical languages at a young age.

According to officials, Latin and ancient Greek were included to “give primary schools further options”, with claims that they can provide a good grounding in grammar, syntax and vocabulary which can boost pupils’ understanding of other modern languages.

It comes after a major study found that schoolchildren in England were less likely to study foreign languages to a decent standard than in any other European country.

Read the full story from The Daily Telegraph here:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9683536/More-primary-schools-to-offer-Latin-and-ancient-Greek.html#

 

Final update on the 6th international CICERO competition

Rex Stretton-Pow with the Malvern St. James CICERO Cup

     

from Anne Dicks

It was a great success again, with a total of 117 Sixth Form students taking part in the UK: 79 taking the cultural test on ‘Aeneas from Troy to Latium’ and 90 attempting edited passages from Quintus Cicero’s ‘Short Guide to Electioneering’. They all really enjoyed the challenge of the tests and were able to video-chat with students around the world as well.

Prizewinners were announced at the JACT Conference and AGM on 19th May and you can see the full list on the UK page of the website http://www.ciceroconcordia.com along with credits to all those who supported the competition either financially or by donating signed books. The winning student came from France this year.

If you click on the ’2012′ link you can see some of these students and hear the video-messages they have sent to each other. Unfortunately there was a problem with the recording from Australia which we have so far not been able to resolve, but I particularly recommend the videoclip from the Serbian students and (of course) my own students’ version of the story of Aeneas, even though I don’t think it can rival the one they made about Jason last year!

As I am retiring from teaching at the end of this school year, the CICERO UK competition will be taken over by a new team: details will appear on the website as they are finalised but more volunteers are always welcome …. I will continue as international Webmaster.

Here are two accounts of the day: the first one written by the winner of the U6 Latin section and the second by one of my students.

• …………………
  Having arrived at Malvern St James School relatively early one Saturday morning, the warm greeting we received more than made up for the loss of a potential lie-in. As always, MSJ were more than happy to see us and made us very welcome; the other students participating were equally friendly and we all got off to a flying start. This, to me, struck the first difference between CICERO and other competitions of its nature. Though everyone seeks to do well, no-one provokes competition or rivalry. The inherent message of harmony is taken to heart.
  As part of the opening ceremony, Duncan and I had the privilege of reading a piece of the Aeneid to the group, followed by a video from Boris Johnson, outlining and praising the competition, and a recorded video-conferencing message from Anne Dicks, the founder of CICERO, speaking to us from a school in Serbia. After a lovely lunch, we also had the chance to talk to some of the many other schools across the world taking part in the competition over video conferencing, including Serbia, Italy and Spain, and received messages from those who had already done the competition due to time zones, such as Australia. It was truly amazing to be able to communicate on such a global level so effortlessly and openly, and especially refreshing to find that, on the whole, there were people like us – Classicists – all over the world, who shared our interest.
  The first test was the Latin translation, a piece by Quintus Cicero, brother of Marcus Tullius Cicero, on how to win an election in Ancient Rome. Though the passage was in places tough, containing some idioms difficult to translate, it was very enjoyable and (unusually for a test) provided a window into Ancient Rome that I hadn’t looked through before.
  Classicists can often feel that the world of Classics nowadays is tightly knit, and it is a shame that this is so, since it really can be a tool for bringing people together. Through CICERO we were able to meet many people and start many friendships, as well as communicate on an international level. A good day and an extremely worthwhile competition.
  
• ……………….
  For 6 years the Cicero competition has inspired budding young classicists all around the world and it truly is a valuable experience for everyone involved. It has benefited me on so many different levels; the papers were challenging and intellectually stimulating, whilst I enjoyed the chance to meet and forge friendships with other like-minded teenagers at our centre as well as those from other schools in Britain, Spain, Italy and Australia. It really is a fantastic opportunity for students to come together and share a common interest outside the classroom, in a competitive yet friendly setting. I would highly recommend it to all and very much hope that someone will take on the responsibility of organising the British centres so that future students will be able to benefit in the same way that I have.
  ………………..

CICERO international Classics competition 

Ludi Scaenici 2012

Sancton Wood School’s Year 8 Latin burst on to the stage at the Ludi Scaenici competition held in the city of Cambridge.

Judge Alexander Welby Head of Classics at the Leys School said; “ The Sancton Wood play went to the core of what Classics is about.”

“It explored the tensions between the Modern and the Ancient World.”

Xan Hill of Year 8 was singled out for praise. “To pronounce well when screaming as Laocoon (Xan) did showed enormous skill. Hard work had clearly gone into the whole cast’s learning.

In the play Xan was declaiming in Latin whilst simultaneously being strangled by a sea serpent.

“There were some wonderful examples of pronunciation particularly on the words Pugnax and magnus. The pronunciation was beautiful,” said Mr. Welby.

Second Judge actress Elisabeth Donnelly commented:

“We wanted to see you perform. The characterisation was excellent. You made the Latin your own”.

Charlie Fynn as an outraged Hercules was praised highly.

The play was co-written and co-directed by Darin Mount and Russell Lord.

Teams travelled from as far away as Ipswich, Norwich and Rugby to compete.

 (Russell Lord is Latin teacher at Cambridge International School and Sancton Wood School in Cambridge. He is a keen supporter of ARLT and has taught options groups at the ARLT Summer School.)

We discard the classics at our peril

Classics graduates know that the best Greek and Roman literature was written at … and Rome in the classical periods and those which face the world today. Read on >>>

All Greek to them – in New South Wales

classics back in vogue as schools embrace languishing languages:

“The classics are enjoying a revival in NSW high schools and universities, reflecting a similar trend in England where Boris Johnson’s Latin in London scheme is one of several initiatives to bring classical languages into more lives.

Latin is now the most popular language at the school, which is considering offering classical Greek as well. ”Why it has exploded the way it has, I don’t know,” she said. ”They just fall in love with it.”

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/all-greek-to-them-classics-back-in-vogue-as-schools-embrace-languishing-languages-20111016-1lrfe.html#ixzz1bLSg8xRo

 

Jamie’s Latin lover – in classical sense

From the Cambridge News

Cambridge University classics professor Mary Beard will appear on celebrity … read a real piece of real Latin written by a real Roman after three lessons. … Read on >>>

Britain needs much more euergetism

The super-rich must pay for schools and hospitals to stop the gap between rich and poor in recession-hit Britain becoming as big as it was in Victorian days, Boris Johnson has warned.

Drawing on his background as a Classics scholar, the London Mayor called for a ‘greater sense of euergetism’ – a word derived from Classical Greek that means philanthropy.

He said the ‘orgy of hate’ directed at bankers and others who earned ‘shedloads of dosh’ was wrong but, in turn, billionaires and multi-millionaires should follow the example of Victorian England – or modern America – where wealthy individuals regard it as their duty to fund worthy civic projects.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1358739/Britain-needs-euergetism-says-Boris-Johnson-classicist.html#ixzz1EbEUxTzJ

Classics and Employability

What’s the point of a Classics degree? Will it get you a job?  Are you employable after doing a Classics degree?   Here is a short video clip produced by Roehampton University, which might suggest some answers.  (with thanks to Dr Kathryn Tempest, who put the clip together) 

http://www.youtube.com/roehamptonuniversity#p/u/6/_trSV7ghvi0

The value of Classics?

Here is the link to a vigorous defence of Classics by an American writer, addressing an audience of students on their graduation day -

http://www.theamericanscholar.org/lost-classics/