The state of literature in my school is on the brink of death. Literature is offered only to the lower
secondary. So, there’s no pure or elective literature. There are only two
literature teachers, my CT and another teacher. They take one level each since
it’s only the sec 1’s and 2’s doing literature. Currently for the sec 1’s, we
just completed prose and will soon begin on poetry in Term II. Since my TA and
TP, I have not taught a sec 2 class nor have I observed any upper sec
literature class.
I don’t think there is any emphasis on Literature at all considering
that the school has to deal with mainstream school leavers (MSL), students
continuously skipping classes, numerous student retainees, behaviour issues,
special needs students etc. I think the school is trying to ensure that
students get at least the basic education and move on to a decent institution
after their secondary education. And since our education system focuses on
English, Math and Science, Literature is just another additional subject to fulfil
a criteria of some sorts. I’ve heard that there is a possibility that
Literature will be scraped and merged into English in time to come.
Interestingly, I’ve yet to see or hear the students lament about
Literature. They usually complete their work especially since most work is to
be completed in class. My CT usually engages the students with activities that
appeal to them, like telling a story through a comic or a video. For their CA,
50% is allocated to a character profile from a movie/storybook and a
comic/storyboard of an original short story. So, the last two weeks have been
spent bringing the students to the computer lab and facilitating their creation
of their short story and character profile. These students know that there is
no opportunity to take literature in the upper sec so they see lit lessons as
maybe a kind of break from the seriousness of other lessons. I’m not sure if
that’s a good or bad thing.
Literature is usually taught through a teacher-centred approach and
then a student-centred activity like drawing or mind-mapping. There is no
in-depth exploration of any sorts. The activities are usually designed so that
students can grasp basic understanding of the text. And since, they’re in sec
1, I guess the aim is to just pique their interest. THANKFULLY, literature is
not taught as comprehension here. It’s still taught as Literature.
With regards to the decline of Literature debate, I have to agree that academic results dominate our education system.
It was only recently that our Minister of Education decided to place emphasis
on values and started to remove the many awards that schools tended to shape
and base their school programme on. Results, however, still remain essential. Everything
else is secondary. That's just the way our society functions.
I found this online. Someone does not see the importance of
Literature and explains why.
(http://everythingalsocomplain.com/2013/02/28/literature-a-casualty-of-an-economically-driven-testocracy/)
It’s not so much the
pursuit of excellence that makes Literature unsexy but the runaway treadmill
that is modern life. Literature should remain strictly for those who love it,
like vintage cheese that smells sweet to a epicurean but like sweaty underpants
to the novice. Many highly successful people have no shame declaring that they
have never read a single novel in their life. So what good is the subject for
in this age of the 140-character limit? To me, it’s knowing how to cheekily
slide your way with semantics out of a mutilation (pound of flesh), impressing
a date (a rose by any other name…) and being absolutely essential if you wish
to pursue a career as a ‘hip-hop artist’ or a lyricist for a crossover New-age choir
of Gregorian monks. It also comes in handy if you intend to craft either the
most touching proposal letter to your fiance, or the most heartbreaking suicide
note in history.
I don’t know about you but I do hope he falls into a rabbit
hole and gets eaten by the Jabberwocky.
Stay awesome for Week 3 J
:)
ReplyDelete