Photograph: Queen Alexandra Sixth Form
In the UK, the number of students studying A-Level English Literature has been in decline, with the figure dropping by 35% in 2017. This subject tends to be overlooked within schools: obviously, it does not fall under the STEM category, and skirts the border of Humanities in some sixth form colleges, with a few others having a separate faculty for it and Art. As current A-Level Literature students, we decided to explore just what the reason was for the newfound disregard of this core subject.
One of the biggest concerns with English Literature at A-Level is the gender imbalance – in our class itself, there are 15 girls and only 3 boys. Traditionally, English tends to be a girl-dominated subject, with reports finding that the ‘eloquent writing’ and ‘home-reading’ aspects of the course being ‘more suited’ to females. Similarly, subjects like Physics and Computer Science are seen as ‘male subjects’ due to their more logical and practical features. But, it’s 2019, so why is gender still an issue amongst the more socially aware younger generation?
We spoke to some boys at Harris Westminster Sixth Form to try and get their opinions on this issue. Leo Schenke, who studies a mixture of STEM and Humanities, told us that while he “enjoys it [literature] in general”, he feels that “the over-analysation of it at GCSE” made him lose interest in it as a subject. Joe Bradshaw, another mixed-subject student, commented: “I like reading, but English Lit takes the fun out of it. Over-analysis alongside the mundane and irrelevant books they made us read just put me off it”.
Munir Ahmadi, a Humanities student, said he feels like English Literature can often-times be “pretentious” and that he “likes to read, but not when reading becomes a task”. Clearly, there is a link between these views; over-analysis at GCSE and text choices seem to be the main concerns.
SchoolsWeek found that the new, tougher GCSEs meant that teachers put an emphasis on memorising ‘good and detailed’ analysis for almost every part of a text so that students would be prepared for anything to come. Without the reliance on past-papers and experience with exam types, both teachers and students were put under far more pressure than before to achieve higher grades- pushing people away from pursuing it at A-Levels.
The texts studied in English Literature also play a big role in influencing students’ attitudes towards it. In a random survey conducted within a Harris Westminster Sixth Form class, we found that 19 out of 20 people enjoyed reading, but only 6 of those 19 enjoyed English Literature itself, and only 1 of those 6 was a male.
Why is it that so many people enjoy reading but don’t enjoy reading within English as a subject? The Canon can be used to explain why. When we look closely at this revered list, it’s no surprise that it lacks appeal to 21stcentury teenagers. In a school with so many different cultures and races, the multiple novels, plays and poems by white men seem disconnected. Students don’t want to be limited to reading Conrad or Melville. They want to read Khaled Hosseini. Maya Angelou. Naguib Mahfouz. Mira T. Lee. This new generation of youths wants to read and study things that resonate with them; literature that they can relate to.
It’s necessary for English Literature to expand its focus. It’s just as important to still read and appreciate the great classics of Literature. But, in an age where fewer and fewer people are interested in it, change is key. Whilst we cannot overlook the simplistic arguments against the subject; we cannot merely wave them off as just that either.
What do you want to see studied in English Literature? As Mahatma Gandhi put it, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”.
The Rose, HWSF 2019
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