Search is on to find Latin class a teacher

A group of enthusiasts have been running Latin GCSE classes at the University of Hull for more than two decades, but recent efforts to find a teacher for the older children have drawn a blank.

Stephanie Wilson, who set up the classes with now retired academics Dr Tim Ryder and Dr Jackie Lukes, said: "This is the only mainstream provision in Hull. Private schools do offer Latin but there's none offered in mainstream schools.

"That's been the case since 1988 when we decided to try and plug the gap by running a private class at the university with various classically trained teachers. Since then we have taken a substantial amount of pupils to GCSE."

She said they had teachers for the younger pupils but a nationwide appeal through the Cambridge Schools Latin Project had failed to find a teacher for the year nine to 10 children.

Mrs Wilson added: "I can't believe in Hull and its environs there isn't a willing and able classicist to commit that amount of time to a very lively and engaging class.

"Latin has never gone away and is now picking up adherents all over the country. More and more schools are starting Latin classes."

Mrs Wilson, whose younger daughters Flora and Lydia were among the first to take the Latin classes, maintained that Latin has been "invaluable" in their degrees and careers.

A teacher is needed to help run the classes for an hour a week on a Monday afternoon between 4pm and 5pm. Lessons cost 5 each, and they are mostly funded by schools from their "gifted and talented" budgets.

Mrs Wilson can be contacted from Monday next week on 01482 493037.