£3 Million For Language Learning
22nd February 2018
Schools will be allocated £3 million this year to support pupils learning additional languages, Employability Minister Jamie Hepburn has announced.
A lack of language skills has been estimated to cost Scottish businesses hundreds of millions of pounds a year in lost exports.
The Scottish Government funding will enable every primary school pupil to start learning an additional language in Primary 1 and a second additional language by Primary 5, and for language learning to continue to the end of S3. This includes Mandarin, Gaelic and British Sign Language as well as European languages.
There has been a sustained increase in language Highers and skills-based qualifications in recent years and the Scottish Government's continued investment will build on this success, ensuring the workforce has the right skills to make the most of international economic opportunities.
Visiting St Ambrose High School in Coatbridge, Mr Hepburn said:"Learning languages in today's global, multi-cultural world is becoming more crucial than ever. Research shows that employers strongly favour candidates with language skills and we want to ensure young Scots are equipped with the skills they need in the global marketplace. That is why introducing school children to languages at a young age and helping them to foster a long-lasting love of languages is so crucially important.
"Our 1+2 language policy supports this ambition and I'm pleased to announce we are allocating a further £3 million to schools in the 2018-19 draft budget, bringing our total investment to £27.2 million since 2013."
Ellen Douglas, Head Teacher of St Ambrose High School, said:"St Ambrose High is committed to ensuring that Modern Languages is given its rightful place in the school curriculum and I'm delighted to learn that the national commitment to promoting Modern Languages will continue with the additional funding being announced by the Minister today.
“Young people live in an increasingly global village and marvellous economic, cultural and social opportunities are created where the barrier of language is removed. Future prosperity requires to be underpinned by good communication in order that communities can remain competitive and enjoy the mutual benefits of working towards a common purpose."
Allocation (£3 million) in £000s
Aberdeen City 101
Aberdeenshire 157
Angus 66
Argyll & Bute 44
Clackmannanshire 29
Dumfries & Galloway 82
Dundee City 81
East Ayrshire 70
East Dunbartonshire 70
East Lothian 63
East Renfrewshire 71
Edinburgh City 220
Na h-Eileanan Siar 14
Falkirk 96
Fife 218
Glasgow City 301
Highland 132
Inverclyde 42
Midlothian 56
Moray 52
North Ayrshire 79
North Lanarkshire 212
Orkney Islands 12
Perth & Kinross 78
Renfrewshire 101
Scottish Borders 63
Shetland Islands 14
South Ayrshire 60
South Lanarkshire 190
Stirling 53
West Dunbartonshire 55
West Lothian 118
All local authorities 3,000
1 based on September 2017 pupil census