FOREIGN languages are“in terminal decline” in Scotland’s schools,  Scottish Labour warns today.

Education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy raised the alarm after a party analysis of Scottish Qualifications Authority figures showed that thousands fewer are studying for qualifications in languages such as French and German.

Despite there being more than 10,500 more pupils in S4-6 today than in 2019, language teacher numbers have fallen by 300 since 2008, and the number of young people studying languages at National 4 or Higher level has fallen from 24,510 in 2019 to 23,990 today.

The overall decline is most marked in Highers, where the numbers have fallen by almost a quarter — from 6,735 in 2019 to just 5,080 today.

It is another knock after the University of Aberdeen recently decided to scrap single honours degrees in modern languages next year.

Ms Duncan-Glancy said: “The chance to learn a foreign language is incredibly important but under the SNP the learning of modern languages is in terminal decline.

“We now face a situation where the number of pupils learning a foreign language is in freefall, the number of modern languages teachers is falling and universities are considering abandoning courses altogether.

“The young people of Scotland should not miss out on the enormous cultural, economic and personal benefits that learning languages can bring.

“SNP incompetence can no longer be allowed to stymie the potential of our young people.”

A Scottish government spokeswoman responded: “When comparing to other parts of the UK, the proportion of French, German and Spanish entries to Highers was greater than the equivalent entries to A-levels and the pass rate among Scotland’s students in languages is higher than for most other subjects.”

She added: “The recruitment of teachers is a matter for local authorities.”