3. Who cares what people say?

3. Who cares what people say? A huge factor driving the shaping of the English curriculum is the image or perception of the subject and its status.

Examiners feel pressured to maintain this status. They are under constant threat of criticism from the press who are quick to declare that standards are slipping. Nobody knows better than teachers and ex-teachers how to maintain high standards –having high expectations, setting challenging tasks and questions, introducing students to new texts. How this is perceived by external critics should not affect our decisions.

As teachers, we are sometimes guilty of perpetuating the idea that certain types of literature are more worthy or credible. It is understandable that teachers want to share their love of texts they were taught at school and at University and I am not suggesting that this love of literature should not be communicated but teachers need to ensure that their tastes and biases are not dominating the classroom. We must resist the urge to let our own prejudices and snobbery affect what happens in our classrooms. In a time when the education system is experiencing more regulation and control than ever it is the classroom teacher’s job to fight for a more pluralistic and democratic approach to reading in secondary schools. Take a risk this year, teach something that would have The Daily Mail readers choking on their cornflakes. Teach it well, make it challenging and ensure outstanding results.