Latin by it self is utterly useless (I had it for 6 years in secondary school sometimes even 12 hours a week, so I'm a bit biased). However, it's difficult, and

Latin by it self is utterly useless (I had it for 6 years in secondary school sometimes even 12 hours a week, so I'm a bit biased). However, it's difficult, and needs constant work and attention, and there are not many things in school that are like that, so this has value. You could replace Latin with chess, or violin or whatever other difficult thing that needs constant deliberate effort to get any level and achieve the same pedagogical effect but with more fun.