Curriculum disconnect with students
The English GCSE curriculum in England currently finds itself in a problematic situation; at odds with the students who study it and the burgeoning swell of globalisation, its content and compulsory literary texts are dominated by white, middle-class writers, with a few opportunities to study poetry written by any subaltern voices. The curriculum seems to have an alarming disconnect between its content and the very students it seeks to educate.
Texts written by the giants of the English literary canon, such as Dickens, Shakespeare and Romantic poets Blake and Wordsworth, make up a large proportion of the study.[1] The only exposure students are given to writers from a non-English background is as part of the poetry study in the Anthology, where a focus on ‘Love and Relationships’ and ‘Power and Conflict’ gives some representation to writers from different cultures.
Students exploring experiences different from their own
The curriculum review recently announced by the new Labour government claims that it will seek to make sure children benefit from a curriculum that represents them and their families, 'regardless of background’, as well as equipping ‘young people to shape their response to the challenges of our changing world.’[2] It will be interesting to note whether this includes a widening of the literature students are given access to as part of their GCSE English Language and Literature study.