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Cutting university language courses risks social mobility, experts warn

5 July 2026 · in 80 words

Cutting university language courses risks social mobility, experts warn

Former education secretaries and experts say cutting university language courses could harm social mobility and vocational skills. The University of Exeter told 500 staff they were at risk of redundancy, mainly in humanities, while Nottingham University may stop offering language degrees. Guardian analysis suggests language degrees can help students from poorer backgrounds get into top universities due to less competition.

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