Plans to encourage primary school children to learn a foreign language, while ending compulsory language teaching for GCSE pupils, have received a mixed reaction from Oxfordshire headteachers.

The language strategy, announced by Education and Skills Secretary Charles Clarke, is aimed at focusing on learning languages from an earlier age.

But headteachers said it would be hard to extend language teaching to younger children, given the shortage of qualified teachers.

They warned that making languages optional at from the age of 14 could hinder some pupils.

Alan Lane, headteacher at Cheney Secondary School, in Oxford, which is raising funds to become a specialist language school, said: "I'm disappointed that the Government has decided to drop compulsory language learning. It's a backwards step."

Rod Walker, headteacher of The Henry Box Secondary School, Witney, a specialist language college, said: "Many students will now choose to drop languages thinking that it's not important, but they'll pay for that later on in life. "I think languages are as important as maths, but no-one is suggesting that maths should be optional."

Graham Robb, headteacher of Drayton Secondary School, in Banbury, where several students have exemptions allowing them to drop languages before GCSE, believed language learning should be sacrificed for some pupils.

He said: "It's good to get more modern language teaching in primary schools, as long as it is not a distraction from more pressing needs."