At least in Australian public schools Latin’s almost non-existent. Any second-hand Latin textbooks I find are from around the 1960’s.
Perhaps there’s there’s no one single reason. Maybe
- It’s a hard language to learn, and like mathematics if you start to fall behind you’ll utterly fail. In a softer, sensitive age, even English grammar is now considered too hard for australian students to learn.
- We no longer look to antiquity for guidance or inspiration at all- to do so is considered small-minded, parochial, old-fashioned and irrelevant. Instead Australian students now look to Aboriginal and modern Australia for culture and history.
- the decline of Christianity. Few people read even English bibles now, let alone Latin and Greek.
- too few teachers.
- it’s considered irrelevant compared to living languages.
Australia’s private schools are more likely to have a go at it but few families can afford the very expensive school fees.
Perhaps there’s there’s no one single reason. Maybe
- It’s a hard language to learn, and like mathematics if you start to fall behind you’ll utterly fail. In a softer, sensitive age, even English grammar is now considered too hard for australian students to learn.
- We no longer look to antiquity for guidance or inspiration at all- to do so is considered small-minded, parochial, old-fashioned and irrelevant. Instead Australian students now look to Aboriginal and modern Australia for culture and history.
- the decline of Christianity. Few people read even English bibles now, let alone Latin and Greek.
- too few teachers.
- it’s considered irrelevant compared to living languages.
Australia’s private schools are more likely to have a go at it but few families can afford the very expensive school fees.