The Education (National Curriculum) (Modern Foreign Languages) Order 1989

Made: 11th May 1989

Laid before Parliament: 19th May 1989

Coming into force: 1st August 1989

In exercise of the powers conferred on the Secretary of State by sections 3(2)(b) and 232(5) of the Education Reform Act 1988[^f00001], the Secretary of State for Education and Science, as respects England, and the Secretary of State for Wales, as respects Wales, hereby make the following Order:

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Education (National Curriculum) (Modern Foreign Languages) Order 1989 and shall come into force on 1st August 1989.

• (2) In this Order—

• references to the third and fourth key stages are references to the periods set out in section 3(3)(c) and (d) respectively of the Education Reform Act 1988; and

• references to relevant pupils are references to pupils in the third and fourth key stages in respect of whom there is a requirement to study a modern foreign language as a foundation subject.

2

• (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the modern foreign languages listed in Schedules 1 and 2 hereto are hereby specified as foundation subjects in relation to the third and fourth key stages.

• (2) A language listed in Schedule 2 is not a foundation subject unless the condition set out in paragraph (3) is satisfied.

• (3) The condition referred to in paragraph (2) is that the school at which the language is taught also offers all relevant pupils the opportunity of studying one or more of the languages set out in Schedule 1 for the purposes of the National Curriculum.

SCHEDULE 1

SCHEDULE 2

Signed

Kenneth Baker — Secretary of State for Education and Science — 4th May 1989

Peter Walker — Secretary of State for Wales — 11th May 1989

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Section 3(2)(b) of the Education Reform Act 1988 provides that a modern foreign language specified in an Order made by the Secretary of State shall be one of the foundation subjects which comprise the National Curriculum. Such a language is to be studied by pupils in the third and fourth key stages, that is to say from the beginning of the school year when the majority of pupils in the class reach the age of twelve until the majority of those pupils cease to be of compulsory school age.

This Order specifies two lists of languages. Those in Schedule 1 are foundation subjects in any circumstances. Those in Schedule 2 will only be foundation subjects if the school concerned also offers pupils who are required to study a modern foreign language as part of the National Curriculum the alternative of studying at least one of the languages in Schedule 1 as a foundation subject.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1988 c. 40.