Scottish primary language plans in doubt

Plans for all Scottish children to be taught two foreign languages from primary school by 2020 are in danger, as MSPs don’t know if they have allocated enough money for the proposals to go ahead.

Whilst the Scottish Government estimates that lack of language skills is costing the economy over £500 million per year, only £4 million has been allocated to implementing a strategy to help the future language skills of Scottish citizens. The Scottish Government’s own Languages Working Group estimates that between £8-12 million would be a more accurate figure in order to get the ball rolling. A report by the European and external relations committee states that it is “hard to assess whether the funds were adequate.”

The Government aims to respond to the committee report’s findings next month.

The UK education system as a whole has a shocking attitude to language learning, and in this we are much behind our European counterparts. This plan, in theory, has the potential to be so beneficial to the country and it’s such a shame that lack of investment from our own Governments is holding us back as a nation and individuals.