The Department of Slavonic Studies wishes to express its serious concern about . Given that AQA is meant to offer ‘qualifications that meet the needs of teachers and students’, this recent announcement is puzzling. Polish is now . Student demand for its instruction is growing exponentially across the board. At the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ, we have recently launched , which combines an innovative undergraduate curriculum on the language, literature and culture of Poland with a cycle of exhibitions, festivals and screenings open to the British public. Both our course offerings and our events are very popular and consistently oversubscribed.
The Polish language has become a vibrant part of British society. As UK universities like ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ work to institutionalise programmes dedicated to the language and culture of Poland, it is particularly troubling to see AQA move in the opposite direction. We call upon AQA and the UK Government to reconsider this decision and to continue to offer the Polish A-level for the benefit of a better British education.
Dr Rory Finnin Head, Department of Slavonic Studies ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ
