Dutch primary schools should no longer be allowed to give more than 3.5 hours of lessons in English a week, according to a Rotterdam court ruling.

The case was brought by Taalverdediging, an organisation which campaigns against the unnecessary use of English and other foreign languages.
The lobby group is angry that some primary schools in Rotterdam are giving children four hours of lessons in English a week. This, the organisation says, is illegal because under Dutch law, lessons should be given in Dutch.
The schools are using a teaching method developed by the Early Bird institute which aims to introduce children to English at a young age, Nos television reports.
The court ruled that teachers can use foreign languages to give lessons but that four hours a week is too much, Nos said.