The campaign for Romanian to become a GCSE option
BBCA campaign has been launched to make Romanian a GCSE option available to students, with campaigners saying census data supports their request.
When Londoners were asked in the 2021 census what their "main" language was, the second most-listed language was Romanian, after English, with 159,000 speakers.
The campaign, supported by Harrow West's Labour MP Gareth Thomas, has been launched by British historian Dr Tessa Dunlop, who has a specialist interest in Romania.
The Department for Education said: "It is for exam boards to decide which languages to offer at GCSE," and added that it was introducing a "stepped qualification in languages" within the primary curriculum.
Dunlop told the BBC: "If we can deliver this GCSE, that is really something that Britain can really take pride of - a way of owning our status as a welcoming space for migrants we have invited in, and a way of celebrating the wonderful diversity in this country."
The historian and campaigner has two children who learn Romanian at home.
Her daughter, Mara, who is 17 years old, and is now in the year after GCSEs, explained how the exam should be offered, along with already-available GCSE options such as Polish.
"It's not just Romanians," she said, "this represents an entire unsung generation of children who cannot communicate with their culture."
She added: "I am so grateful I speak Romanian."
Adi Lapadatescu, who came to London from Romania 15 years ago, told the BBC: "A GCSE is important to me and my children and for our culture, and it will be a big step for validating us and saying 'we are here'".
He added: "We are the second language spoken, and we want to be seen, it is important for us - isn't it important to you as well?"
Thomas said: "Despite exam boards offering GCSE subjects in several different languages, no board offers Romanian as a GCSE or A-level subject.
"Many Romanian families would welcome the chance for their children to supplement their school exams with a GCSE and/or A-level in Romanian," the MP said.
- 1.83m Londoners aged three and over reported a main language other than English, which equates to about 20% of the population
- Top foreign languages spoken as a main tongue were Romanian (159,000), Spanish (117,000), Polish (112,000) and Bengali (102,000)
- Romanian speakers increased in number the most over the 10 years from 2011, rising by 120,000
The Department for Education said: "We know learning a language empowers young people to engage with the world, think critically and understand new perspectives.
"That's why we are strengthening the primary language curriculum and introducing a stepped qualification in languages supporting more young people to study a language, helping them to achieve and thrive.
"Schools can also consider teaching their pupils other foreign languages, including Romanian, as part of their wider curriculum to reflect the needs of their local communities."
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