The teaching of Hindi and Bengali in British schools should have the same priority as European languages, according to education officials here. The economic rise of India and China in recent years has forced education officials to consider giving more importance to their languages so that British youth are able to connect with a more globalised world.The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (OFSTED) has recommended that languages spoken by minority communities in Britain must be given more prominence on school timetables. A spokesman for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) said the policy was effectively in place already. The announcement follows a Government review by Lord Dearing in 2007, which said it would be crucial to teach more global languages as China and India grew in economic influence.
