Dr Ben Pullan argues that Classics in English schools is being pushed to the margins, and that both routes into the ancient world, from Latin and Greek to Classical Civilisation, must be protected for the intellectual training they offer and the cultural inheritance they unlock.
Once hailed as a bastion of academic rigour in English schools, the field of Classics – in essence, the study of the ancient languages of Latin and Greek, and / or the societies that spoke and wrote them – is currently under pressure. In some schools, the Classical languages have drifted from the heart of the curriculum to the fringes, whilst in others they have been cut altogether. The picture is similar for their more accessible ‘cousin’ within the curriculum, Classical Civilisation.
This general decline has been the result of a number of reasons, most of which are frustrating. Every educationalist would agree that curricula, both on a school and national level, need to be adaptable and appropriate for their students, and therefore I am not going to argue here for a return to the days of the Victorian period, when studies in Latin and Greek stood alongside those of English and arithmetic as the core of an English boy’s education, or indeed the 1950s, when a pass in Latin O-level was still requisite for entry into the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. I am also not going to argue that study of the Classical languages is any more rigorous an academic discipline than the STEM subjects that have seemingly replaced it as the gold standard in this regard, nor that Classical Civilisation is any more important a subject than the social sciences that have become ever more popular. However, I am going to argue that both pathways to the Classics need to be protected and preserved: the former, on account of the uniquely stimulating academic journey that it facilitates, and the latter, on account of the treasure trove of cultural heritage to which it provides access.
Classical Languages
In an academic world in which even modern foreign languages are struggling to attract interest, why should anyone opt to study those that are no longer spoken? This is a question that Classicists are becoming increasingly compelled to address. The answer does not lie in the promise of a flashy job, though thankfully, top employers still take A Levels in Latin and / or Greek very seriously, but instead in the uniquely stimulating nature of the discipline. Within the English schooling system, in which other humanity is the student required not only to translate masterpieces in their original language, but also to study, analyse and write about them as works of literature, even at GCSE level? Without the requirement to develop speaking and listening skills when studying Classical languages, in contrast to modern foreign ones, a GCSE level Latinist or Hellenist can acquire a significantly better proficiency as a reader of the language much more quickly than their counterparts in MFL. This means that the student of GCSE Latin gets the opportunity to translate and analyse genuine classics of poetry and prose, such as Virgil’s seminal Roman epic, the Aeneid, or Tacitus’ scathing critique of the Julio-Claudian emperors in his Annals
This relatively early access to the original masterpieces of Latin and Greek opens up a world of intellectual opportunity for the able student of classical languages. For, having battled their way through the initially very challenging task of translating Latin poetry, before too long their reading speed will increase. Furthermore, they will start to think not only about what Virgil says, but also how and why he says it. Even at GCSE level, the student will become comfortable in analysing the poet’s style of composition (his use of diction, sound effects, imagery, and metre, for example), and the effect this has on characterisation and tone. If the student progresses onto A Level or IB, they will reach that dreamy academic status of being expert enough to read and understand a text, not only in its own particular language, but also within its own historical context. From their studies of the Aeneid, for example, the student of Latin will find themselves compelled to explore its backdrop of Augustus’ consolidation of power as the first de facto Roman emperor – and will take great pleasure in seeing how the text responds to this. All the while, their battles with complicated grammar and syntax will have trained their brain to think logically, pay close attention to detail, and present their own thoughts and words coherently.
Classical Civilisation
Classical Civilisation – the study of the culture and literature of the Romans and Greeks, without the need for learning the ancient languages – has, in the past, been unfairly regarded as a less rigorous pathway to the ancient world, but ought now to be taken seriously and protected in its own right. Whilst, for many unfortunate reasons, study of the Classical languages in England remains the reserve of the privileged few, Classical Civilisation is available to a much greater section of society, as demonstrated by the fact that over 4000 candidates sat the OCR A Level in it in 2025, as opposed to 989 for Latin. The student of this brilliantly rich and varied A Level is able to acquire a broad perspective on the culture and literature of Ancient Greece and Rome. Whilst an A Level Latinist might read one book of the Aeneid as part of their course, their counterpart in Classical Civilisation would read the entirety of it in translation, alongside modern scholarly perspectives on it, and likely emerge with a much deeper understanding of the poem as a whole, and its place within its historical context.
Classical Civilisation also presents its students with the particularly special opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the ancients by visiting the sites that are studied in class. Relatively cheap flights to Italy and Greece, and some well-established providers in this area, mean that affordable and manageable trips that align with curricula can be devised quite easily. A student of, for example, the GCSE module ‘Roman City Life’, may get the opportunity to see the houses, temples and amphitheatres that they study via a trip to Rome or the Bay of Naples. Likewise, the A Level ‘Greek Religion’ course, which addresses a range of ancient temples and sanctuaries, almost demands a trip to see them for real. Taking the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi as an example, home of the most famous oracle of the ancient world, it is only once one ascends the slopes of Mount Parnassus for themselves, and gazes out at the endless valley below, that the visitor truly gets an understanding of why the ancients viewed this place as the ‘navel of the universe’ and imbued it with such mystical significance.
The academic pathway that leads to seminal experiences such as this, now more than ever, needs protecting. At a time of rapid technological innovation, it is becoming ever easier to dismiss ‘traditional’ humanities, in favour of subjects seemingly more suited to equipping students to navigate a brave new world. Whilst a healthy degree of technological awareness does need to be taught in schools, the idea that we are in some way ‘future-proofing’ our students through it is a fallacy: in reality, tomorrow’s curriculum will very likely be yesterday’s lived experience for the student.
Where we can still make a meaningful impact on our students is by teaching them powerful knowledge about their place in history, and equipping them with the skills to think critically about the world in which they live. Whilst Classics may not currently be the most fashionable of subjects, as one that brings together all of linguistics, literature, philosophy, religion, mythology, art, history and politics, it absolutely needs to be protected and preserved as an intrinsic part of our European, and ultimately human, identity.
Dr Ben Pullan, Head of Classics
