A Rush of Blood to the Head

[steepholm]

It seems that Michael Gove, like Kenneth Baker before him, wants to draw up a list of canonical authors that no child should leave school without having read. First up is Dryden: I do look forward to hearing how they get on at my old comp with "Absalom and Achitophel", that perfect primer for scheming politicians. Not that I will, since this is just the kind of crowd-pleasing banner that people like Gove like to wave around at conference time. It did however spark a discussion on the Today programme this morning, during which I was pleased to hear one teacher praise The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (published 50 years ago this month) both for its own qualities and as a perfect way of firing children up to read Chaucer and the Gawain poet. Alas, the same man went on to pull the rug out from under his own bona fides by claiming that Steven Moffat was, like, way better than Pope. Up to a point, Lord Bolingbroke.

Comments

[drasecretcampus.livejournal.com]

You beat me to it - and interesting to note that most of the writers are already taught, or at least aren't prevented from being taught. I'm sure there are corners of Pope and Swift and fornicating atheist Shelley who celebrated anarchy and workers' rebellions which would be very amusing to teach...

They never did explain Paver's debt to Chaucer. Both are Key Stage 3 texts, which means nothing to me, but presumably relates to secondary pre-O level.

I fear that Theresa May will adopt A Modest Proposal as one of the new family friendly policies.

[gillo]

I would love to see Gove attempting to teach a mixed-ability class "All for Love". Or "Macflecknoe".

It's the old problem - politicians assuming that anything they have ever read can be read by anyone. And, while they are all-too-aware that they are "a bit" above average, they have no real idea how far. And they misremember the age they were when they read things.

All of which adds up to their being simultaneously clever but stupid and ignorant. But they're politicians. We knew that, right?

[sheenaghpugh]

Dryden????? Or Dry-as-dust, as I prefer to think of him. OK for adults, yes, but entirely unsuited to children.

Who's Steven Moffat?

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

He's the bloke now in charge of Doctor Who.

[calimac.livejournal.com]

I have never read more than 2 consecutive lines by Dryden, I confess. On the other hand, I've read both Chaucer and the Gawain-poet - originally for class, too (college, not school).