Sir, Translation between Latin or Greek and English provides strenuous exercise for the mind, as PE does for the body. It vigorously exercises both short and long-term memory, analytical skills, problem-solving, synthesis, creativity and mental discipline. English speakers gain, as a bonus, a useful insight into the vocabulary, structure and use of their mother tongue. Latin is an excellent work-out for all minds, while the more demanding alphabet, complex grammar and syntax of Greek provide a mental triathlon for training naturally academic students.

Educationists have known this for over a thousand years, but only recently has the physical reason been revealed by neurological research. The neuron networks in the relevant parts of a developing brain grow more complex when strong demands are made on them and the adolescent brain has been shown to be still developing between 14 and 18 years old. The proposal to dumb down the language content in favour of cultural studies is, therefore, clearly counter-productive.

Grammar schools in England and their equivalents throughout continental Europe have always taught Classics and have produced thousands of talented scientists, engineers and industrial managers, many of whom have led the world in their various disciplines. It is no coincidence that the withdrawal of Classics from the curriculum has been accompanied by a drop in general educational standards and a shortage of suitable university candidates for the “hard” sciences, such as physics, chemistry and engineering. We cannot afford this wastage of our best young minds.