Latin is back on the political and educational agenda again – but it looks like we shouldn’t be relying on Tory MPs to teach it to the kids.
A new government scheme wants to end the “elitist” perception of the subject by introducing it to 40 state schools, with £4 million set to be put into the Latin Excellency Programme as part of a four-year pilot.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said that Latin has a reputation of being “only reserved for the privileged few” but believes the “subject can bring so many benefits to young people, so I want to put an end to that divide.”
Should this take off you might have a generation of people who speak like Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg. They have both made their familiarity with the classical language part of their overall gimmick and have even spoken it in the Commons. However, despite perceptions, it turns out that Rees-Mogg isn’t as knowledgeable on Latin as you might think.
The Tory MP and Leader of the House of Commons appeared on Camilla Tominey’s LBC Radio show on Monday where the Eton and Oxford-educated politician was tested with some fiendish questions on the subject. Let’s just say it didn’t go well too for Rees-Mogg.
This was the moment Jacob Rees-Mogg failed Camilla Tominey's Latin translation challenge ahead of a rollout of the language in state schools.@CamillaTominey | @Jacob_Rees_Mogg pic.twitter.com/0A6pxVZ7mv
— LBC (@LBC) August 2, 2021
In fact, the 52-year-old only managed to get one out of the three questions correct, which was the Eton school motto. Sadly, he didn’t guess the translation for “don’t get your knickers in a twist” which would have been quite something to hear Rees-Mogg say that on the radio.
In all fairness, Rees-Mogg did admit that his overall knowledge of Latin isn’t the greatest and that LBC should have got Johnson on instead. Regardless, people couldn’t help but be amused that Rees-Mogg, who can often appear to pride himself on just how posh he is, really didn’t know that much about Latin at all.
That @LBC audio of Jacob Rees Mogg being quizzed on #Latin and knowing only the Eton motto is divine.
— Dearbhail McDonald (@DearbhailDibs) August 2, 2021
Jacob Rees-Mogg agrees to be interviewed on LBC about the benefits of learning Latin at school.
— Karen Th 🇪🇺 🇬🇧🐝 #3.5% #GTTO #BLM (@KarenStopHate) August 1, 2021
Fails to understand some simple Latin phrases presented to him (except for the Eton moto).
Admits his knowledge of Latin is limit to the Dictionary of Quotations🤦♀️
If you're wondering why Jacob Rees Mogg couldn't translate some basic Latin on LBC the answer lies in this 2012 interview. pic.twitter.com/KTixWB8wum
— Otto English (@Otto_English) August 2, 2021
Roman sculpture responds to Jacob Rees-Mogg’s attempts at Latin pic.twitter.com/PhBelD4qgB
— Roger Luckhurst (@TheProfRog) August 2, 2021
Jacob Rees Mogg on LBC yesterday couldn’t translate ANY of the Latin he was asked to translate - he’s a faux accented charlatan
— Karen Broadway #FBPE💚 (@karenbway_karen) August 2, 2021
Jacob Rees-Mogg seen in W H Smiths buying 'Latin for Dummies'. https://t.co/csXcm90KUI
— Jim Fraser MSM #FBPA (@JimFraserz) August 2, 2021
Perhaps we’ll see him taking up a few classes in state schools when the scheme is up and running. Carpe diem, Mr Rees-Mogg.
