Schools in Scotland are set to offer pupils the opportunity to study the Urdu language at Higher level for the first time

BBC News:

Previously pupils were only able to take the subject to Standard Grade, with about 180 studying it at present.

Campaigners had lobbied for academic recognition for Urdu and wanted to give people the chance to study it in depth.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) confirmed it will offer the new Higher subject from next year.

Classes in Higher Urdu will be available from August 2007, with first certification in August 2008.

The new course will allow for progression from Standard Grade Urdu.

The victory for campaigners has come despite the SQA's present policy of axing some Highers which have a modest take-up.

A spokesman for the SQA said there was a sound business case for the new Higher Urdu exam.

It is the first time a non-European language has been recognised at Higher level.

The SQA said Urdu qualifications were a vital part of provision for the "new Scotland".

A spokesman said: "The development of the Higher is a direct response to demand from the community.

"It is important we have Scottish provision."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Executive added: "We are pleased that Urdu will be offered as a Higher from 2007.

"We have supported those moves for a while and welcome anything that offers pupils more choice and opportunity within the curriculum."

For those of you who don't know what Urdu is, here is the definition that I found at Answers.com: An Indic language that is the official literary language of Pakistan, essentially identical to Hindi in its spoken form but in its literary form heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic and written in an Arabic alphabet. That should come in real handy in Scotland.