Regional Language in Schools
The discussion
Kenji: I think the regional language should be compulsory in primary schools here. Only about a fifth of children speak it at home now, and once a language leaves the classroom it disappears within two generations.
Rosa: My parents moved here from abroad, and I'd rather my younger brother spent that time on English and maths. He's already juggling two languages at home, and a third that he'll rarely use outside this valley feels like a burden.
Niamh: I teach music, and I've seen how the old songs connect kids to their grandparents in a way nothing else does. But compulsory classes with grammar tests often make children hate a language, so I'm not convinced forcing it is the right route.
Kenji: Voluntary classes just mean the children of enthusiasts learn it and nobody else does. That's how the decline started.
Rosa: I'd be more open to it if it were taught through activities like Niamh's songs, or sport, rather than as another exam subject. My brother would actually enjoy that.
Niamh: That's where I'd land too: compulsory exposure, but through culture rather than tests. Kenji, would that be enough for you?
Kenji: It's less than I'd want, but an hour a week of real immersion beats an optional course nobody takes. I could support that as a start.