Forward With Classics ― Classical Languages in Schools and Communities

Despite their removal from England's National Curriculum in 1988, and claims of elitism, Latin and Greek are increasingly re-entering the 'mainstream' educational arena. Since 2012, there have been more students in state-maintained schools in England studying classical subjects than in independent schools, and the number of schools offering Classics continues to rise in the state-maintained sector. The teaching and learning of Latin and Greek is not, however, confined to the classroom: community-based learning for adults and children is facilitated in newly established regional Classics hubs in evenings and at weekends, in universities as part of outreach, and even in parks and in prisons.

This book investigates the motivations of teachers and learners behind the rise of Classics in the classroom and in communities, and explores ways in which knowledge of classical languages is considered valuable for diverse learners in the 21st century. The role of classical languages within the English educational policy landscape is examined, as new possibilities exist for introducing Latin and Greek into school curricula. The state of Classics education internationally is also investigated, with case studies presenting the status quo in policy and practice from Australasia, North America, the rest of Europe and worldwide. The priorities for the future of Classics education in these diverse locations are compared and contrasted by the editors, who conjecture what strategies are conducive to success.

Arlene Holmes-Henderson is the postdoctoral researcher for the Classics in Communities project in the Faculty of Classics at the University of Oxford. Arlene has a wealth of professional experience from the classroom, having taught Classics in both Scotland and England for more than a decade. She has conducted comparative educational research in the USA, Australia and New Zealand and now provides expert advice to a number of international governments and qualification organisations in the field of language education policy. In addition to researching Classics education, she provides teacher training in schools around the world.

Steven Hunt is the Subject Lecturer of the PGCE in Classics at the University of Cambridge, UK. He taught Classics for over twenty years in state comprehensive schools and is author of Starting to Teach Latin (Bloomsbury, 2016). Steve contributes to CPD events at national and international levels, is Editor of the Journal of Classics Teaching, President of the Association of Latin Teaching, and lectures on Classics Education on the teacher training courses at Liverpool Hope University and Harris Academies.

Mai Musie is a co-founder of the Classics in Communities project and Alumni Relations Manager at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, UK. She is currently completing her PhD thesis on the Representation of Persians in the Ancient Novel. Mai has over fifteen years of experience in access and outreach work with HE institutions and statutory bodies, including running the Outreach Programme for the Faculty of Classics at Oxford, and has organised and coordinated mentoring and literacy programmes, summer schools and employability projects.