Education: Languages Debate

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Lord Harrison

Main Page: Lord Harrison (Labour - Life peer)

Education: Languages

Lord Harrison Excerpts
Tuesday 12th March 2013

(11 years, 9 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Garden of Frognal Portrait Baroness Garden of Frognal
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My reading of the figures from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills survey is that it reports a lack of skills in admin and clerical roles, but not quite to the extent that the noble Baroness has indicated. We share the concern about skills at all levels, from professional fluency right through to a basic knowledge of language, which can make a welcoming introduction to somebody coming in and can be a valuable ice-breaker.

In response to the Wilson review, the Government have announced set-up funding for the establishment of a national centre for universities and business. That will cover all aspects of HE business collaboration, which will of course include languages.

Lord Harrison Portrait Lord Harrison
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My Lords, will the Minister look again at the discontinuation of the Asset Languages exams, which have so well helped to mobilise the rich range of languages that our schoolchildren have and point them into the way of employability or further academic work?

Baroness Garden of Frognal Portrait Baroness Garden of Frognal
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My Lords, the Asset Languages programme was indeed valuable. However, we are introducing a range of other language provisions, from school through to university, to ensure that our language skills increase over the years.