06-20-2014, 04:28 AM
There are times when I really don't want to admit to being an Australian, and many more times when I don't want to admit to coming from the state of Queensland.
I think every country has its region which is a constant source of embarrassment to the nation by virtue of (let's be kind) its pride in not being overly concerned with the pursuit intellectual excellence.
Queensland is probably that part of Australia. When I went to secondary school in the 1960s, Classical Languages were still in the curriculum (alongside the notion of a "liberal education") - but not for long. From the 1970s to the present, Classical Languages retreated to universities, and a number of modern languages reared their heads as they became fashionable "because they would be useful (???) to high school graduates". Japanese rose into favour and fell from it, followed by Indonesian and Chinese. Now, no one seems to think it matters if Australians know only one language, because "everyone speaks English, don't they?" And as for dead languages like Latin and Greek, well, I mean, how are they going to help you place a bet or read the sports section?
Today, that elegant prince of newspapers, Brisbane's Courier Mail, shrilly proclaims to the nation that (shock, horror) the federal government is going to encourage the return of dead and utterly useless languages to our already-perfectly-good-thank-you-very-much school curriculums!
I shall attempt to attach a scan of today's front page for the amusement of all.
[attachment=10180]Scan03.jpg[/attachment]
The text reads:
ABSURDUS MAXIMUS
Feds fund revival of Latin - 1500 years after fall of Roman Empire
TANYA CHILCOTT
LATIN is being dragged back into Australian schools under a controversial revival of classical languages. The ancient language, rarely used outside the Vatican and in archaic legal terminology, will be worked into the national curriculum from July 1. A topBrisbane school will make it compulsory for all Year 7 students from next year. Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne has provided up to $1.8 million for authorities to develop classical Latin and Greek curriculums - elevating them to the same status in classrooms as modern languages such as Mandarin, French and Japanese. Critics say it is "patently absurd" to give Latin the same status as living languages.
REPORT P9.
Read and weep - for Queenslanders and Australians,
Howard / SPC
I think every country has its region which is a constant source of embarrassment to the nation by virtue of (let's be kind) its pride in not being overly concerned with the pursuit intellectual excellence.
Queensland is probably that part of Australia. When I went to secondary school in the 1960s, Classical Languages were still in the curriculum (alongside the notion of a "liberal education") - but not for long. From the 1970s to the present, Classical Languages retreated to universities, and a number of modern languages reared their heads as they became fashionable "because they would be useful (???) to high school graduates". Japanese rose into favour and fell from it, followed by Indonesian and Chinese. Now, no one seems to think it matters if Australians know only one language, because "everyone speaks English, don't they?" And as for dead languages like Latin and Greek, well, I mean, how are they going to help you place a bet or read the sports section?
Today, that elegant prince of newspapers, Brisbane's Courier Mail, shrilly proclaims to the nation that (shock, horror) the federal government is going to encourage the return of dead and utterly useless languages to our already-perfectly-good-thank-you-very-much school curriculums!
I shall attempt to attach a scan of today's front page for the amusement of all.
[attachment=10180]Scan03.jpg[/attachment]
The text reads:
ABSURDUS MAXIMUS
Feds fund revival of Latin - 1500 years after fall of Roman Empire
TANYA CHILCOTT
LATIN is being dragged back into Australian schools under a controversial revival of classical languages. The ancient language, rarely used outside the Vatican and in archaic legal terminology, will be worked into the national curriculum from July 1. A topBrisbane school will make it compulsory for all Year 7 students from next year. Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne has provided up to $1.8 million for authorities to develop classical Latin and Greek curriculums - elevating them to the same status in classrooms as modern languages such as Mandarin, French and Japanese. Critics say it is "patently absurd" to give Latin the same status as living languages.
REPORT P9.
Read and weep - for Queenslanders and Australians,
Howard / SPC
Spurius Papirius Cursor (Howard Russell)
"Life is still worthwhile if you just smile."
(Turner, Parsons, Chaplin)
"Life is still worthwhile if you just smile."
(Turner, Parsons, Chaplin)
