Industry News
Cambridge abandons language requirement
Posted on 17th March 2008
Cambridge University has announced its intention to drop its requirement for applicants to have a language GCSE, as too few state school pupils now take them.
The vast majority of private schools still offer languages and many schools require their students to take a modern language at GCSE, which has traditionally worked in their favour when it comes to university applications.
However, with Oxbridge now under pressure to take in more students from the state sector, Cambridge has been forced rethink its policy.
Currently only 17 per cent of state schools require their pupils to carry on taking a foreign language past the age of 14, after the government changed the law that made it compulsory for students to do a language GCSE.
Director of admissions for the Cambridge colleges Dr Geoff Parks said it would "still encourage all young people to learn a foreign language".
Independent school pupils make up 15 per cent of entries to GCSE French, 20 per cent for Spanish and 21 per cent for GCSE Italian exams, despite only accounting for seven per cent of all GCSE candidates, the Telegraph reported recently.