AQW 49607/11-16

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 08/10/2015
Answered On Date: 13/10/2015
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the number of GCSE and A-level examination entries in modern languages in each of the last three years in (i) the North Eastern Region; (ii) the Western Region; and for his assessment of student interest in modern languages.

Answer:

Number of GCSE and A-level examination entries in modern languages, 2011/12 – 2013/14

		2011/12	2012/13	2013/14
A-level	Western	282	234	233
	North Eastern	284	271	252
GCSE	Western	2122	2067	1910
	North Eastern	2598	2577	2413

Schools are encouraged to offer a wider range of modern languages and the curriculum provides schools with greater flexibility in the choice of subjects to meet the needs of their pupils. Schools are able to choose from any of the languages of the 27 EU member states to meet the requirements of the statutory curriculum, and can also add any other additional languages they wish.

The Department is continuing to work with a wide range of external bodies to promote the importance of 2nd language learning including the Languages Council, the Centre for Information on Language Teaching, the Confucius Institute and the British Council.