Tag: Boris Johnson

Greek Bearing … Fruit?

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Some good news from the Telegraph:

Some 160 pupils in three schools will be given lessons in the native tongue of Archimedes and Herodotus from September.

The move follows the successful introduction of Latin to dozens of state primaries in England.

The Iris Project, a charity campaigning for the teaching of the Classics, which is leading the latest drive, said the subject had substantial knock-on benefits across the curriculum.

Lorna Robinson, charity director, who will be teaching the one-hour lessons every two weeks, told the Times Education Supplement: “People can be daunted at the idea of learning a language that has a different alphabet as it may feel like an additional challenge.

“Actually, though, we¹ve found that while it does add an extra dimension to the learning it¹s one that people take to quite quickly and really enjoy once they get going.

“Ancient Greek is just a wonderful language, full of beautiful words and fascinating concepts.”

Pupils will be taught the alphabet, basic grammar and vocabulary, as well as learning about ancient Greek culture, such as the development of the Olympic Games and the comedies of Aristophanes.

Latin is currently more widely taught than ancient Greek, although it is still mainly confined to private schools.

Advocates include Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, who recently gave a Latin lesson to teenagers at a London secondary.

Under new plans, three Oxford primary schools will be given Greek lessons from September. A further 10 will get one-off taster sessions.

Sue Widgery, head of East Oxford primary in Cowley, where children speak 26 different languages, said: We were sufficiently enthused by Latin to give it a go with ancient Greek. It heightens children’s sense of language, they can see the connections between languages and it is fun.”

Congrats to Lorna Robinson … a tireless campaigner for such things.

World’s Highest Paid Latin Teacher?

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Of course, he has another gig:

He came, he saw, he got told off for not paying attention in class and then he was heckled by binmen. It was all in a morning’s work for the supply teacher at St Saviour’s and St Olave’s Church of England secondary girls’ school – or, as he is more commonly known, the Mayor of London.

The classroom full of 15-year-old girls in south-east London was far from the one at Eton where Boris Johnson conjugated his first ancient verb. But for Boris, there is no fear: he began his lesson by telling the girls about the proclivities of Roman women, in particular their fondness for gladiators.

Everyone was a little awkward. Then in an episode of cunning, he conjured two sentences that he helped the class put together in Latin: the woman loves the gladiator, but the women do not love the charioteer.

The Mayor, former King’s scholar (one of Eton’s highest awards) and Brackenbury scholar (Oxford) was playing teacher to promote a scheme which aims to persuade companies to give employees a day off each year to be spent helping the local community.

Mr Johnson came to offer his skills as a classicist, and all-round good egg, to pupils studying for Latin GCSEs. Although the subject is not on the syllabus, it is taught in lunchtimes and after hours by English teacher, Sophie Hollender, and voluntary emissaries from Westminster College.

The Mayor’s long-lasting affection for Latin comes from his belief in its benefits beyond the realm of dusty academia. “I won’t say it’s the route to colossal riches,” he told the class, “but I read almost nothing but Latin and Greek for 25 years, and I’m now in charge of every bus in London.”

He added: “It helps you be more logical. It gives you an understanding of your own language too.” There was a ripple of nervous laughter from an audience amused and slightly wary of Mr Johnson, whose bike, bray and bouffant thatch were novel to the surroundings.

He found himself rapped on the knuckles for not paying attention during the class discussion following a clip from Ben-Hur. “That was a bad moment,” he confided after the bell had rung. “I forgot I was supposed to be writing down my thoughts and feelings. And when she [the teacher] got to me, I had not a single adjective written on my paper.”

He appeared to have quite a freestyle approach when it came to his turn in front of the whiteboard, muttering “teaching is hard”, before leading the assembled in a hearty chant of “amo, amas, amat” and a further, rather less certain version of the passive.

So far, so Cambridge Latin Course: the comforting repetition is the same regardless of student or social strata. I learnt Latin this way, studying in lunchtimes and evenings, because it was not on the curriculum at my comprehensive. Thanks to two teachers, one of whom called in a favour from her alma mater Cheltenham Ladies’ College (which was throwing out old textbooks), I got a little of what some call a “classical education”.

“Maintained schools haven’t had enough government encouragement,” Mr Johnson said at the end, adding: “I was drained by that. And the kids knew far more than I thought they would.”

After answering binmen’s questions on the congestion charge at the school gates, he was ushered away for the next mayoral event, wearily getting on to his bike with the admission: “I’m also deeply hungover.”

The new supply teacher fluffs his Latin lines | The Independent.

Boris Johnson and Mary Beard on Electioneering

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Not sure how long this one from BBC4 will be available … here’s the description; audio file after the jump:

How were Roman political techniques for getting elected similar to those of today?
The Romans produced their first handbook on electioneering 2000 years ago, written by Cicero’s brother Quintus in the first century BC.
London Mayor Boris Johnson and classics professor Mary Beard discuss how some of the strategies for winning over voters are eerily familiar.

via Modern politicians ‘as ego driven’ as the Romans | BBC .