The role of literature in the curriculum

Literature to me has always been an experience, a journey, an opportunity to read and enjoy the work of profound poet’s novelist, playwrights while critically paying attention to the vast details and falling in love with the writer’s craft.

I was first exposed to literature in form four. At that time, literature was only taught to form fours and fives. It was a student’s decision to decide whether he or she wanted to study the subject for CXC. Teachers had little influence on this chose except that they were required to recommend the student to write the subject during the second term in form four based on their performance in the previous term.

This procedure continued well into my teaching years at this very same school. During my first year of teaching, there was only one literature teacher. She taught only the upper forms. Strangely, during my first year, she was unable to recommend any of her students to write the subject. This was due to the fact that none of them had ‘developed an appreciation’ for the subject which reflected in the grades they had obtained. Ironically, at this very same time, the ministry of Education began implementing policies for the integration of English language and English literature in secondary schools on the island. This integration was left up to the English language teachers to decide when, how and what strategies they would use to do this.

After many lengthy discussions, our head of department thought it would best be established if we used excerpts from plays and adolescent literature novels.  A literature class for the lower school was conducted once during our six day cycle and English language, five periods per cycle. Much of what was needed to be explored in the plays and novels were not successfully completed as time did not permit. Having realized this, the head of department decided to negotiate with the Vice principal for at least two periods a cycle. This proved ineffective as his argument was mainly that English language was a compulsory subject for CXC where as English literature was an option which the students had.

Even in society, it is apparent that many individuals do not see the need for students to study literature. Literature is viewed as a less important subject; especially for females when compared to technical subject such as, Food and nutrition, Clothing and Textile. This to me goes back to the mentality that women are seen as housekeeper who need to know how to cook and perhaps sew mend a stitch in a pair of trousers. Not only this but, little emphasis is placed on how our student can reach great heights through studying literature like our well known poet and noble laureate, Derek Walcott.