Gove axes 'Of Mice and Men', 'To Kill a Mockingbird' from English GCSEs
tom_watson @tom_watson · 3h
The Sunday Times is reporting that Michael Gove has removed To Kill a Mockingbird & Of Mice and Men from the English Syllabus. Says it all.
- http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/classic-american-writing-is-going-to-be-banned-from-english
- http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/article1414764.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2014_05_24
The Sunday Times is reporting that Michael Gove has removed To Kill a Mockingbird & Of Mice and Men from the English Syllabus. Says it all.
- http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/classic-american-writing-is-going-to-be-banned-from-english
- http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/article1414764.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2014_05_24
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To kill a mockingbird has been on the syllabus for not far off thirty years. Maybe we need a change.
It says that he would prefer our pupils to study English literature of which there is an abundance of excellent texts.
My issue is why make this this announcement now? The cynic in me just wonders whether at a time of debate about the importance of nationality this isn't pandering to those who might approve of such changes.
Henty?
Unfortunately I can only see it being the former.
During my schooling we had literature from all round the world; British pre-20th century literature is interesting, but largely depressing. It's wont to making children think that the world is designed to be shit for those who work for a living, but full of sex and romantic wonderment if you're lucky enough to have been sired by those in the landed gentry.
I studied them 40 years ago, it's definitely time for a change, though they are good to read as accepted 'classics' anyway. It's not like kids aren't free to read whatever they like outside school.
I would prefer our students to study a rich tapestry of English language texts regardless of country of origin.
Hence why I was grateful that my Scottish High School found the time to include both Of Mice and Men and Lewis Grassic Gibbon's classic "Sunset Song" in our curriculum. One from a great American author and the other from an author born and raised in Aberdeenshire.
For what it's worth my daughter, just doing her GSCE, studied Mice and Men and Animal Farm. Now Animal Farm is, IMO, a great text to study - aspects still as relevant now as they have ever been,
Does it? It just says to me that the syllabus changes. I didn't 'do' either book when I was at school in the 70's so presume they weren't on the syllabus then.
I only read Animal Farm last year - I've been catching up on some of the classics that I missed when I was at school (during the 70's)
I will now seek out "Sunset Song". My mother's family was from Aberdeenshire.
Cameras are finally about to start rolling in the Aberdeenshire countryside where Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s story of a young woman’s struggles growing up in a dysfunctonal family in a farming community is set. However it has emerged that key scenes have already been shot Down Under by the lead actors in the eagerly-awaited production.
http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/film/gibbon-s-sunset-song-finally-set-for-big-screen-1-3369806
I see that he was born in Auchterless where my grandmother's first husband was born.
I studied 1984 of which the surveillance theme couldn't be more appropriate for present society. The other text was Brave New World which given my interest in sci fi at the time (early 80's) was probably the best choice of texts I could hope for. Even the play (An Inspector Calls) was good as was the Shakespeare (Twelfth Night).
I was expecting pitch forks and torches on this thread. Pleasantly surprised..... however you should see what's happening with maths!
Shakespeare has been part of the school curriculum for far longer than thirty years, so If you think we need a change from 'To kill a mocking bird' then surely you must think we need a change from 'Shakespeare' also.
Personally myself I think 'To kill a mocking bird' and 'Of mice and Men' ( which my children read in school) are much more enjoyable to read than 'Shakespeare'
No not at all, the curriculum for English includes a variety of sections including Shakespeare.
I'm sure most people who aren't idiots would. Alas, some people are such party tribalists that they'll defend to the death something that they would mock and feign outrage at had the idea come from a political opponent.
Also, leaving aside this particular issue, since when did Tories (the self-proclaimed party of the small state and individual freedoms blah blah) start deciding what books children should read in schools? Gove is a big an authoritarian as they come, and I can't help but laugh at the poster above who mentions how appropriate texts like 1984 and Brave New World are in the modern world - and then goes on to mention how 'pleasantly surprised' they are to see that the pitchforks aren't out for Gove for banning foreign classics from the syllabus.
Gove will call it dangerous Marxist propaganda by anyone deluded enough not to vote Tory.
The trouble with Michael Gove is that he is not the intellectual his supporters make him out to be. He can regurgitate almost akin to a parrot. This is why he champions rote learning so much. He does not have the mental capacity to analyse, question or research and he mainly does not understand what he has remembered. English Literature is a confusing subject for Michael Gove, therefore..
Due to his own mental shortcomings, he doesn't want children encouraged on how to think, he demands that they are taught what to think. He is not alone in this, people of all political persuasions can be guilty of this. He is dangerous because he has the power.
I did when I had to read Shakespeare 50 years ago
They should change it regularly IMHO. Not keep the same books in the syllabus for decades.