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The government wants more children to learn Latin in school and people are torn

The government wants more children to learn Latin in school and people are torn

A £4 million Government programme to get more state secondary school pupils to learn the “elitist” language of Latin has Twitter users divided.

The Latin Excellence Programme, announced on Saturday, will see an expert group appointed to “work with schools providing the best Latin teaching” to create resources for those in disadvantaged areas.

Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, said: “We know Latin has a reputation as an elitist subject which is only reserved for the privileged few. But the subject can bring so many benefits to young people, so I want to put an end to that divide.

“There should be no difference in what pupils learn at state schools and independent schools, which is why we have a relentless focus on raising school standards and ensuring all pupils study a broad, ambitious curriculum.

“Latin can help pupils with learning modern foreign languages, and bring broader benefits to other subjects, including maths and English.”

Yet over on Twitter, people were quick to throw ad hominem attacks in the direction of Williamson, with others criticising the proposals ad nauseam:

Some, meanwhile, appeared to see it as a more bona fide way of making the subject less elitist:

For those who see the Conservative Party as traditionalist, it certainly is a ‘classic’ move.

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