Modern foreign language graduates have a lower unemployment rate (5.8 per cent) than most other graduates. “We have never got the message across of the employability of language graduates when it comes to the jobs market.”Figures appear to bear this out. This can have a knock-on effect on the number of youngsters opting for and taking an interest in that subject.One of the reasons cited by Mr Hart for the shortage of language teachers is the opening up of job opportunities abroad for linguists as the UK develops closer links with European countries and the world economy becomes more global “I think we missed a trick there,” he said. Of nearly 400 schools surveyed, only 188 make the subject compulsory, compared with 288 last year.David Hart, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “The decline has come about as a result of the lack of fully qualified language teachers and the fact that when they introduced the national curriculum they did not identify languages as a core subject.”According to Ofsted, the Government’s education standards watchdog, the quality of teaching declines when a stand-in non-specialist teacher takes the class. Only 20 per cent of primary schools in the UK offer language teaching to their pupils, compared with in Continental Europe, where the subject is compulsory from the age of six or seven in every country.In short, a maximum of 600,000 primary school pupils out of 3.5 million learn a foreign language in Britain, and even in schools where the subject is on the timetable provision is patchy.

“I could imagine us getting into compulsion at some stage down the road but we are so far behind at the moment,” he replied.The current situation is dire. His task is to ensure that the next generation leaves school equipped with a foreign language qualification.A government blueprint, published yesterday, will concentrate on boosting language learning in the primary school sector by entitling all children aged seven and above to learn a language at school, by the end of the decade.At the launch of the strategy, Mr Clarke was asked if it would not be better to make learning languages compulsory. HOW ON earth can we reverse the decades of decline that have left Britain’s children at the bottom of Europe’s language learning league?

How on earth can we reverse the decades of decline that have left Britain’s children at the bottom of Europe’s language learning league?
Charles Clarke, the Secretary of State for Education, is the man charged with the mission. The company’s shares, which closed down 2 per cent yesterday at 110p, are well beneath the near £4 high they traded at during the peak of the internet boom early in 2000. Sir Christopher’s dislike of, as he put it, the “build ‘em up and knock ‘em down syndrome” is also well known. This is partly due to the close relationship the two have had since Vodafone took over Mr Sarin’s company, AirTouch, in 1999.Mr Sarin netted share options worth more than £9m from the sale, before enjoying a brief burst of publicity in this country for being one of its best-paid directors. One player entitled to have it permanently attached to his name is Brian Bevan, the subject of the year’s major work, The Great Bev by Robert Gate (London League Publications, £14.95).

Spends £13.5bn on 3G licences during year2000 November pays Sfr4.5bn for stake in Swiss mobile operator MobilCom2001 May raises £3.5bn in share placing to fund expansion in Japan and Spain2001 October Vodafone takes control of Japan Telecom2002 May Vodafone ups stake in China Mobile by $750m2002 July fresh row over pay deal, worth up to £6.6m, for Gent2002 August buys Vivendi out of internet venture Vizzavi for €143m2002 December Vivendi thwarts Vodafone’s attempt to take control of France’s Cegetel2002 December Gent announces he will step down as chief executive in July 2003. Agrees to take half in shares2000 August bids €8.4bn (£5.4bn) for 3G licence in Germany. I think we will look back on Chris’s time and regard him as one of the finest chief executives of the last decade.”Vodafone shares showed little reaction to the news, closing down 2.7p at 110.25p.DIARY OF DEALS IN THE CHRIS GENT YEARS1985 Christopher Gent joins Vodafone, then part of Racal Electronics, as MD in the UK1991 Vodafone demerged and listed1997 January Gent becomes chief executive, replacing Sir Gerald Whent1999 June Vodafone completes purchase of AirTouch of the US for £43bn2000 April completes acquisition of Germany’s Mannesmann for £101bn2000 May pays £5.9bn for 3G UK licence2000 July Gent under fire over £10m bonus. Last year, the number opting to study German was down 13.6 per cent, French 1.3 per cent and other European languages 12.5 per cent. For 10 years, these A-level and degree numbers have been falling. By the time you get to degree level, only 3 per cent of students are studying language-related subjects.

There were more than 500,000 entries for languages GCSEs in 2002, but at A-level this number had fallen to below 30,000 – fewer than 5 per cent of total entries. State primary schools simply do not employ modern language teachers.However, while this may contribute to British pupils’ reputation as the “language dunces” of Europe, it does not explain the dwindling numbers who are taking up the subject at A-level and degree level.Yesterday’s blueprint spelt out the nature of the dilemma quite starkly. “I could imagine if we’re four or five years down the line of the strategy and we find some schools or groups standing out against foreign language learning, we could do that at that time.”He also defended the decision to allow youngsters to drop languages at 14, saying there was evidence that the subject had “alienated” them from the school curriculum.The strategy was welcomed by most teachers’ leaders. Mr Clarke likened the system, which will run alongside traditional A-levels and GCSEs, to music grades and the cycling proficiency test.He rejected suggestions that the blueprint should have introduced immediate compulsory language classes for primary school pupils, saying existing provision was “so far behind” it would be unworkable.”I could imagine getting into compulsion at some stage,” he said. Speaking in London, the Education Secretary said: “I think there is a case for variable fees.” His comments came as it was revealed that Downing Street was considering whether to cap university fees at about £4,000 a year – but allow them to introduce some level of discretion into charges.. Ms Evans said: “We need the Government to grasp this nettle now if Britain’s young workers are to be able to compete with their peers in the rest of the European community.”* Mr Clarke opened the door for universities to be allowed to charge top-up fees yesterday.