Forward with Classics

A Book at Lunchtime seminar with Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson, Steven
Hunt, Dr Mai Musie, Dr Peter Jones (Co-founder, Classics for All),
Dr Alex Pryce (Head of Student Recruitment, Oxford), Chaired by
Professor Fiona Macintosh (St Hilda's Oxford). Despite their
removal from England's National Curriculum in 1988, and claims of
elitism, Latin and Greek are increasingly re-entering the
'mainstream' educational arena. Since 2012, there have been more
students in state-maintained schools in England studying classical
subjects than in independent schools, and the number of schools
offering Classics continues to rise in the state-maintained sector.
The teaching and learning of Latin and Greek is not, however,
confined to the classroom: community-based learning for adults and
children is facilitated in newly established regional Classics hubs
in evenings and at weekends, in universities as part of outreach,
and even in parks and in prisons. This book investigates the
motivations of teachers and learners behind the rise of Classics in
the classroom and in communities, and explores ways in which
knowledge of classical languages is considered valuable for diverse
learners in the 21st century. The role of classical languages
within the English educational policy landscape is examined, as new
possibilities exist for introducing Latin and Greek into school
curricula. The state of Classics education internationally is also
investigated, with case studies presenting the status quo in policy
and practice from Australasia, North America, the rest of Europe
and worldwide. The priorities for the future of Classics education
in these diverse locations are compared and contrasted by the
editors, who conjecture what strategies are conducive to success.
About the Authors Edited by Arlene Holmes-Henderson, Steven Hunt
and Mai Musie. Arlene Holmes-Henderson is the postdoctoral
researcher for the Classics in Communities project in the Faculty
of Classics at the University of Oxford, as well as an experienced
teacher of Classics in both Scotland and England. Steven Hunt is
the Subject Lecturer of the PGCE in Classics at the University of
Cambridge. He taught Classics for over twenty years in state
comprehensive schools and is author of Starting to Teach Latin
(Bloomsbury, 2016). Mai Musie is a co-founder of the 'Classics in
Communities' project and Knowledge Exchange Officer within the
Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Oxford. She has recently
completed her PhD thesis on the Representation of Persians in the
Ancient Novel. Contributors: Mary Beard, Arlene Holmes-Henderson,
Steven Hunt, Mai Musie, Emma Searle, Lucy Jackson Michael Scott,
Emily Matters, Paula Corrêa, John Bulwer, Barbara Bell, Jane
Maguire, Rowlie Darby, Lorna Robinson, Xavier Murray-Pollock, Peter
Olive, Olivia Sanchez, and Nicola Felton, Corrie Schumann, Lana
Theron, Patrick Ryan, Francesca Richards, Evelien Bracke, Aisha
Khan-Evans, James Robson, Emma-Jayne Graham, Kathryn Tempest and
Edith Hall.