Isn't it strange how exclusivist the Guardian is about Latin

The Guardian has jumped on the Amo amas amat bandwagon – and let's welcome publicity for Latin – with a piece by one Charlotte Higgins. Read the article.

Unfortunately she has entered into the elitist world of Harry Mount, and chooses to talk, not just to the author, but also to a teacher from St Francis College, Letchworth, one of the top achieving schools in The Times list, who turns up her nose at Latin as it is taught to the majority of Latin students in the country. We don't learn what textbook this school does favour, but:

She reserves special disdain for the Cambridge Latin Course, the series of books now most widely used in schools and widely blamed for Latin's “dumbing down” and indeed decline. “It's a complete nightmare. I refuse to use it,” says Leek.

So, keep Latin as a class divider – is that it? The book, as reported by The Guardian, seems to hold that view:

In other words, Amo, Amas, Amat is, broadly, part of the Eats, Shoots and Leaves phenomenon and thus falls into the category of books that are ostensibly cris de coeur for the correct use of the apostrophe, say, while really, deep down, betraying a sort of posh anxiety about standards in society generally.

This depresses me. I'd rather trumpet the Comprehensives in Inner London who are taking on Latin using the despised (and misrepresented) Cambridge Course, and the thousands of Primary School children who are learning to love Latin through Minimus.

By the way, our Civic Society had an inspiring talk yesterday from the Assistant Head of our local Comp, and when I asked him after the talk when the school was going to re-introduce Latin, and pointed out that children from some of his feeder schools have learned with Minimus, he took the matter seriously and promised to raise the question at the management meeting next week.