Do we teach literature written in English or the literature of England? Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird…these powerful stories resonate with struggling readers as well as the most able. Please support this petition to let teachers choose from a wider range of texts or, if he persists in this strategy, make Gove visit real schools and try and teach his syllabus to our classes. This is a syllabus which privileges the elite and deprives the disadvantaged.
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As an American, I find this sad, of course. Literature needs to go beyond borders!!
Exactly. And the three mentioned are not only great works of literature, they explore major human issues:- racism, miscarriage of justice, doing the right thing even when it hugely unpopular, loneliness, learning difficulties, being an outsider, the power of the mob, bigotry, etc etc etc. There has to be room for new writing of course but Gove wants English 19th century novels to dominate… It all seems to be about his personal preferences…