# The Education (National Curriculum) (Modern Foreign Languages) Order 1989, Note: Explanatory note


(This note is not part of the Order)
Section 3(2)(b) of the Education Reform Act 1988 provides that a modern foreign language specified in an Order made by the Secretary of State shall be one of the foundation subjects which comprise the National Curriculum. Such a language is to be studied by pupils in the third and fourth key stages, that is to say from the beginning of the school year when the majority of pupils in the class reach the age of twelve until the majority of those pupils cease to be of compulsory school age.
This Order specifies two lists of languages. Those in Schedule 1 are foundation subjects in any circumstances. Those in Schedule 2 will only be foundation subjects if the school concerned also offers pupils who are required to study a modern foreign language as part of the National Curriculum the alternative of studying at least one of the languages in Schedule 1 as a foundation subject.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/825/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/education-national-curriculum-modern-foreign-languages-order-1989/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.