MSP claims two languages at risk in Edinburgh schools

Miles Briggs says the shortage of language teachers is impeding children's' development.

The number of German and Italian teachers at secondary schools in Edinburgh has collapsed since 2010, according to Scottish Government statistics.

Research by Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, found that the number of teachers whose main subject is German has fallen from 19 to 4 between 2010 and 2024 while Italian teachers fell from 5 to 1 over that period.

While French and Spanish have both gained four 'main subject' teachers in the last 14 years, main subject Gaelic provision has remained at three teachers city-wide, despite the SNP government spending circa £30m a year on Gaelic and Scots.

Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, said: “The collapse in German and Italian language provision in the capital is very concerning. The minimal growth in French and Spanish will not compensate for this loss in young people’s access to modern language courses.

“It is well known that learning a second language is highly advantageous to a young person’s development and future opportunities. A second language exposes you to another culture, and therefore an alternative view of the world.

“Not only does this shortage of teachers impede pupils’ learning, but it also costs them time and money when they need to travel to another school to access the relevant classes.

“This is yet another area in which Edinburgh’s young people have been let down by the SNP government’s politicised and complacent attitude to education. Ministers ought to be embarrassed that schools in a global city like Edinburgh are in this position.”