There is a direct contradiction between claims for a post-Brexit Global Britain & the continuing decline in the teaching of foreign languages across the education system (from schools to universities).
This crisis continues to worsen & is now compounded by the pivot away from the US in the global political economy, and the rise of non-English speaking powers to more significance (politically & economically) in a fragmented yet still global system!
#Languages #education
https://thecritic.co.uk/issues/february-2026/the-crisis-in-foreign-language-studies/
@ChrisMayLA6
Don’t know about the UK, but previous Australian govt policies (esp. the Job Ready Graduate program) does much to undo the successes of Arts faculties (where languages are taught) with massive cost increases for degrees. The program promotes STEMS subject by radically cutting funding for the Arts and massively increasing funding for STEM subjects esp engineering and medicine. This was a neoliberal policy that has so far not been curtailed by our current Labor govt.
By the by, the policy was/is a total failure. Students seek to study in the field they have an interest in and not the ‘cheapest’ degree structures. The resulting numbers have shown a very modest increase in STEMS and a decrease in non-STEMS enrolments.
Politicians (as well as business persons) should be kept out out of University boards and councils. Ministers ought to worry about education budgets and leave the running of a Universtity to those better educated to do so IMO. It’s academic, not corporate.