Languages feel the squeeze at universities

Published on Monday 25 May 2009 22:11

LANGUAGE departments at Scottish universities are being forced to make substantial cuts due to a lack of government funding, a leading academic has warned.

It came as hundreds of angry students and staff staged a protest at Edinburgh University yesterday over a proposed 400,000 cut to languages funding over two years.

In Glasgow, Strathclyde University has already lost two members of its languages staff and reports suggest more could be cut across the university.

April MacMahon, head of Edinburgh University's world-leading school of humanities – which includes Scotland's largest modern languages department – said: "The funding we get for teaching language students is very much lower than we get for, say, teaching science.

"Teaching a language is expensive because you do need that relatively small group work, you do need to involve native speakers and to teach a number of different skills. We recognise there is a funding gap in terms of the money that comes in to allow us to teach languages to students so it is not unique to Edinburgh."

She added: "These specific issues might be Edinburgh-centred at the moment but provision in languages is something which has been reducing in a number of universities and Edinburgh has provision in a much wider range of languages than many of our competitors.

"We see less funding coming in for a languages student than for almost any other category of student. There's a real underlying issue there."

A report by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) – which allocates money to universities – last year admitted languages were suffering financially. The report said: "Staff in language departments told us there are financial pressures on language departments, which have led to some institutions reviewing the size and scope of their modern language provision."

Academics told the SFC that language teaching is more resource intensive than other arts subjects because of the need for small classes, and use of language laboratories.

Languages are a key priority area for the Scottish Government, which has introduced a languages baccalaureate from next year to encourage schools pupils to pursue more advanced study.

Protesters at Edinburgh University yesterday voiced fears that subjects such as Russian and Portuguese – which have a small number of staff – could disappear. Adam Ramsay, president of Edinburgh University Students' Association, said: "This has happened because of a failure to invest in growing our language provision by both the university and the government."

However, Ms McMahon insists there are no plans to cut provision in any language for 2009-10. She said: "The school of literatures, languages and cultures, in which language teaching is concentrated, does face financial challenges, and some anxiety about the situation is entirely understandable.

"All subject areas in the school are writing plans which we will consider at the end of June, and consultation is proceeding with staff and students as to the best ways of maintaining excellence in teaching while managing the current financial situation."

Other institutions across the UK have also seen funding for languages cut following a research assessment exercise by the higher education funding council.

Oxford University said its modern languages budget had been cut by 1 million for next year. A spokeswoman said there was "an element of disappointment" that the high rating given to its modern languages teaching had not translated into increased funding or even equivalent funding to last year.

Cuts to languages funding will harm our future prosperity