[Education] Gove axes US novels from UK GCSE syllabus

[itsConnor_]

As UK education secretary, Michael Gove, continues to steam roll his way over the UK education system with his GCSE & A-level reforms, he announces that he will be removing Of Mice and Men (currently studied by 90% of British GCSE students) and to Kill a Mocking Bird from the GCSE syllabus. Michael Gove says this is a "really disappointing statistic".

The Education Secretary "really dislikes" John Steinbeck's classic tale of itinerant workers George and Lennie, Of Mice and Men, and is keen to increase the number of British works studied by pupils.

Bethan Marshall, a senior lecturer in English at King's College, London, warned children would be put off studying English as a result of the move. "It's a syllabus out of the 1940s and rumour has it Michael Gove, who read literature, designed it himself," she told the Sunday Times.

Read more at the Evening Standard.
Read more at Channel 4 News

[R1mP3x]

Of Mice and Men was really boring. Kinda glad he's doing this but not sure about to Kill a Mocking Bird. Lots of people at my school said it was pretty good.

[itsConnor_]

Of Mice and Men was really boring. Kinda glad he's doing this but not sure about to Kill a Mocking Bird. Lots of people at my school said it was pretty good.

At the very least, its context holds profound historical importance, which Gove seems to be ignorant to. It sounds like he's wiping out all of these great American novels to make way for a total British syllabus. I can't imagine Shakespeare being abolished in the US..

[LaughingPickle78]

He's a fucking idiot. Of Mice and Men was great. I hated Shakespeare. God damn Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth were so boring. At least Of Mice and Men was actually interesting and more modern. Not to mention it was much better exam material in my opinion. There are so many themes and characters to discuss, in comparison to Macbeth, where the focus is always, Lady Macbeth.

Nobody likes Gove, and for good reasons. This is the guy that tried to abolish GCSE's and return to O Levels.

This idiot makes me angry, and he should be removed from his position. I have no idea how he got it in the first place. He's slowly destroying our school system in my opinion. I am lucky, I finished school last year. My brother, not so much, he starts GCSE next year. I dread to think what things will be like for my 4 year old cousin in 10 years. Hopefully by then the guy will be out and replaced. I'm calling it, OF Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird will be replaced by Dickens.

[itsConnor_]

He's a fucking idiot. Of Mice and Men was great. I hated Shakespeare. God damn Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth were so boring. At least Of Mice and Men was actually interesting and more modern. Not to mention it was much better exam material in my opinion. There are so many themes and characters to discuss, in comparison to Macbeth, where the focus is always, Lady Macbeth.

Nobody likes Gove, and for good reasons. This is the guy that tried to abolish GCSE's and return to O Levels.

This idiot makes me angry, and he should be removed from his position. I have no idea how he got it in the first place. He's slowly destroying our school system in my opinion. I am lucky, I finished school last year. My brother, not so much, he starts GCSE next year. I dread to think what things will be like for my 4 year old cousin in 10 years. Hopefully by then the guy will be out and replaced. I'm calling it, OF Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird will be replaced by Dickens.

I hope to God Labour (heck, even UKIP) get in next year and put these monstrosities of education 'reforms' to a stop. You're right, he's going to bore everyone to death with Dickens and  leech all interest in english literature out of everyone.

I'm lucky I'm not going to be affected by some of his more radical proposals (i.e. scrappingf A*-E grading systems which work perfectly fine and replacing them with a number system - no doubt because beloved Finland[education heroes] use said system). Although some of these stupid A-level reforms will hit me (e.g. no January exams, no practical assessment in sciences and God knows what else he wants to change).

[GRIMI_]

I thought mice of men was a pretty good book. I don't see why he's removing them. Books are books, no matter where the author came from, or where the book is set. It seems to me like another "gove gone mad" thing, like wanting us to spend every hour of our lives held captive in school. Seems to me that Mr Gove wants to make a mark on the education system. But, if he really did want to leave a mark, wouldn't he do the things that we want and need, rather than removing books that have no problem in the curriculum for no real reason?

He's focusing on things people don't want, instead of suggesting/proposing, for example ways to make university free (without debt for the rest of your life) which I'm sure everyone would support. Why discourage intellect and willingness to learn?