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To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff employed by his Department overseas in roles requiring an ability to speak a local language are at the Target Level Attainment for that language.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff employed by his Department overseas in roles requiring an ability to speak a local language are at the Target Level Attainment for that language.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has 527 roles occupied overseas where staff are required to speak the local language to at least degree level. As of February 2017, 54 per cent of staff in these roles have reached Target Level Attaintment of C1 (which equates to degree level) and have successfully passed the C1 exam. This equates to 287 officers across the network. This is an improvement of 15 per cent since December 2015.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office expects all officers to have reached a minimum level of B2 before going overseas. This is equivalent to A-level. Officers at Post who have not reached their target level are expected to continue their language training with a view to taking the C1 exam within the first year of their posting.
All staff whose roles require an ability to speak the local language undergo a period of full time language training before their deployment overseas. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has recently implemented a series of measures to improve the Target Level Attainment, including measures to ensure officers complete their training before arrival at Post, as well as working with Directorates on succession planning for overseas roles which have a speaker requirement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many of his Department's staff passed a language examination at (a) Extensive, (b) Operational, (c) Functional and (d) Confidence levels in each year since 2010.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many of his Department's staff passed a language examination at (a) Extensive, (b) Operational, (c) Functional and (d) Confidence levels in each year since 2010.
In 2013, the FCO designated all speaker slots across the network as minimum C1 Operational level. This is equivalent to degree level. Officers no longer take exams at Functional/ Intermediate or Confidence levels.
The number of officers who have passed the exams at the requested levels is as follows:
| C1/C2 | Functional | Confidence |
2010 | 100 | 57 | 119 |
2011 | 96 | 57 | 118 |
2012 | 111 | 78 | 108 |
2013 | 90 |
|
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2014 | 126 |
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2015 | 121 |
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2016 | 154 |
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To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many members of staff his Department employs overseas in roles requiring an ability to speak the local language; in which countries such staff are based; and in which languages such staff are required to be proficient.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many members of staff his Department employs overseas in roles requiring an ability to speak the local language; in which countries such staff are based; and in which languages such staff are required to be proficient.
As of February 2017, the FCO has 648 speaker slots across 111 countries. Officers in speaker slots complete a period of full time language training in advance of taking up their role overseas. This training enables officers to reach C1 Operational level (equivalent to degree level) in the language spoken in the country to which they are posted.
Currently 65 per cent of full-time language training is in 5 languages (Arabic, French, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish). In addition, along with Farsi, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Turkish, which are the other priority languages in our Priority Skills Statement, the figure increases to 80 per cent. Full-time language training is also provided in a further 36 languages.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the breadth of the range of modern foreign languages taught in schools; and if she will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the breadth of the range of modern foreign languages taught in schools; and if she will make a statement.
Maintained schools must teach a modern or ancient foreign language to pupils at Key Stage 2 and 3. At Key Stage 4, there is a statutory entitlement for every pupil in a maintained school to take a course in a modern foreign language if they wish to. Schools can choose which language to teach.
It is important to have high quality qualifications not just in French, German and Spanish but also in languages such as Polish, Urdu, Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati and Turkish.
The Government and exam boards have secured the future of these languages so pupils can study them as part of a core academic curriculum. We are also expanding the teaching of Mandarin Chinese through our Mandarin Excellence Programme.
My right honourable friend the Minister of State for School Standards (Nick Gibb) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The government is tomorrow publishing subject content for AS and A levels in a range of languages with smaller cohorts. This fulfils the commitment made in 2015 to work with the...
My right honourable friend the Minister of State for School Standards (Nick Gibb) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The government is tomorrow publishing subject content for AS and A levels in a range of languages with smaller cohorts. This fulfils the commitment made in 2015 to work with the...
The government is tomorrow publishing subject content for AS and A levels in a range of languages with smaller cohorts. This fulfils the commitment made in 2015 to work with the exam boards to ensure the continuation of these qualifications.
The reformed GCSE content for modern foreign languages, published in 2014,...
The government is tomorrow publishing subject content for AS and A levels in a range of languages with smaller cohorts. This fulfils the commitment made in 2015 to work with the exam boards to ensure the continuation of these qualifications.
The reformed GCSE content for modern foreign languages, published in 2014,...
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what requirements they have set for community rehabilitation companies to make specific arrangements for the rehabilitation of minority groups whose first language is not English.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what requirements they have set for community rehabilitation companies to make specific arrangements for the rehabilitation of minority groups whose first language is not English.
We have given Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) the flexibility to innovate and do what works to reduce reoffending, including tailoring rehabilitative support to offenders based on their individual needs. To promote equality of opportunity and avoid discrimination against offenders on the grounds of protected characteristics, CRCs are required to comply with relevant equalities and human rights legislation as they work with offenders.
Whilst not defined in law as a protected characteristic, we have taken steps to ensure that language is not a barrier to an individual’s rehabilitation. At the beginning of each sentence, CRCs are contractually required to arrange a face to face interview to assess each offender’s risk profile and rehabilitative needs. This informs the initial sentence plan, which the CRC must explain to the offender verbally and in writing to ensure they understand how they must behave and what they must do to comply with their sentence. The CRC must also seek confirmation that the offender has understood this explanation. Where the offender understands insufficient English to enable this, CRC must undertake the initial interview and provide confirmation of the sentence plan in a language they were able to understand.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy and effectiveness of the provision of modern foreign language education in primary schools; and if she will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy and effectiveness of the provision of modern foreign language education in primary schools; and if she will make a statement.
The Government is committed to the teaching of foreign languages as part of a core academic curriculum. Since September 2014, maintained primary schools in England must teach a modern or ancient foreign language to pupils at Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 11). The British Council’s Language Trends survey 2015/16 found that all the primary schools in a representative sample taught languages. Just over half had access to specialist expertise in the teaching of languages. A little under half had either a native speaker or a member of staff with a degree in the language they are teaching.
The Teaching Schools Council (TSC) published a report on its review of modern languages teaching practice in secondary schools last November. In addition to providing practical advice to teachers to improve their pedagogy in secondary schools, the review reported considerable variation in the levels of knowledge and expertise shown by secondary school pupils, depending on their experience of being taught a language in primary school, in addition to some examples of good practice. It recommended that secondary schools should support the teaching of languages in primary schools wherever possible. The TSC is considering how further to support schools to engage with the report’s recommendations.
Lords motion to consider. Agreed to on question.
Lords motion to consider. Agreed to on question.
My Lords, the Childcare Act 2016 delegates power to Ministers to create these regulations. It gives the Secretary of State a duty to secure 30 hours of childcare to three and four year-olds of working parents. The regulations provide for the additional 15 hours of childcare for children of working...
My Lords, the Childcare Act 2016 delegates power to Ministers to create these regulations. It gives the Secretary of State a duty to secure 30 hours of childcare to three and four year-olds of working parents. The regulations provide for the additional 15 hours of childcare for children of working...
My Lords, there is much to welcome in what the Minister has said. He may well recall the graph of disadvantage, where an intelligent boy or girl from a low income family will start high on the graph but over a period of time will decline and a less intelligent...
My Lords, there is much to welcome in what the Minister has said. He may well recall the graph of disadvantage, where an intelligent boy or girl from a low income family will start high on the graph but over a period of time will decline and a less intelligent...
My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing these regulations. It goes without saying that we welcome the extension of free childcare to 30 weeks from next September and it is helpful to have these regulations as the route map to delivering that—or at least in theory. I suspect that...
My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing these regulations. It goes without saying that we welcome the extension of free childcare to 30 weeks from next September and it is helpful to have these regulations as the route map to delivering that—or at least in theory. I suspect that...
In relation to the noble Earl’s points about future costs, as he knows—we have discussed this—we have thought about this carefully through our review. In answer to that point and the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Watson, about capacity, it is true that the system has responded remarkably...
In relation to the noble Earl’s points about future costs, as he knows—we have discussed this—we have thought about this carefully through our review. In answer to that point and the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Watson, about capacity, it is true that the system has responded remarkably...
I thank the Minister for what he said about examining the case of looked-after children in early years provision. I have a couple of supplementary questions, on which he might write to me. The report, Starting Out Right: Early Education and Looked After Children, has four recommendations, and I mention...
I thank the Minister for what he said about examining the case of looked-after children in early years provision. I have a couple of supplementary questions, on which he might write to me. The report, Starting Out Right: Early Education and Looked After Children, has four recommendations, and I mention...
I will certainly do that. Having made those comments, I hope that noble Lords will support these regulations.
Motion agreed.
I will certainly do that. Having made those comments, I hope that noble Lords will support these regulations.
Motion agreed.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Modern Foreign Languages Pedagogy Review published by the Teaching Schools Council on 18 November.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Modern Foreign Languages Pedagogy Review published by the Teaching Schools Council on 18 November.
The Government is committed to increasing the proportion of the population gaining language qualifications. As a result of the English Baccalaureate, the number of students studying a language at GCSE has increased from 40% in 2010 to 49% in 2016.
Additionally, we want to improve the quality of language teaching. We welcome the Teaching Schools Council’s report on modern languages teaching practice in secondary schools and encourage schools and teachers to consider its recommendations in reviewing their current practice.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to extend participation in the cross-Whitehall language focus group to more government departments.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to extend participation in the cross-Whitehall language focus group to more government departments.
My honourable friend the Minister of State for School Standards has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
In April this year, the government announced that GCSEs and A levels in a range of languages with smaller cohorts will continue and therefore will be reformed in line with other GCSEs and A...
My honourable friend the Minister of State for School Standards has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
In April this year, the government announced that GCSEs and A levels in a range of languages with smaller cohorts will continue and therefore will be reformed in line with other GCSEs and A...
In April this year, the government announced that GCSEs and A levels in a range of languages with smaller cohorts will continue and therefore will be reformed in line with other GCSEs and A levels. This fulfils a commitment made in 2015 to work with the exam boards to ensure...
In April this year, the government announced that GCSEs and A levels in a range of languages with smaller cohorts will continue and therefore will be reformed in line with other GCSEs and A levels. This fulfils a commitment made in 2015 to work with the exam boards to ensure...