Persian
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.What is it? Persian is the language of Iran, and a dialect of it, Dari, is spoken in Afghanistan. It gives students the chance to delve into Iranian literature and culture.
Why do it? Most people do it because they have roots in Iran or Afghanistan.
What skills do you need? GCSE Persian is recommended. As long as you have an equivalent ability in the language, you can take the A-level.
Ratio of coursework to exams: No coursework.
Is it hard? "Not for the candidates who tend to enter," says Martin Nutton, subject officer for Persian at OCR.
Who takes it? A total of 140 students took the full A-level this year, almost all from an Iranian or Afghan background.
How cool is it? "Dead cool," says Nutton. "For many it's a great opportunity to take another qualification."
Added value: Getting in touch with your roots. Often young Iranians in this country need to speak Persian to communicate with older relations – or to understand what their parents are saying.
What subjects go with it? Anything.
What degrees does it lead to? Most students don't go on to study Persian at degree level but you can take a BA at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
What do the students say? "The most interesting aspect of the course for me was familiarising myself with Iranian culture," says Arian Farsian, 17, who has completed A-levels in Persian, maths, physics, French and economics. She is second-generation Iranian and studied Persian A-level for four hours on Saturday afternoons for two years.
Which awarding bodies offer it? OCR
How widely available is it around the country? Widely available at schools run by the Iranian community.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments