Michael Gove, the British secretary of state for education, recently has decided to eliminate nearly all American authors from a list that British teens used as a source of material that they will be tested on. This exam is comparable to our Regents test in literature. This decision has caused a great deal of discussion and anger on the part of both Americans and the British.
Gove states that his reasons for the changes involve raising standards and “toughening up the exams by asking British teens to read more complex and language-rich books.” He cites two classic American novels, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and “Of Mice and Men,” as not offering students enough complexity of ideas and language. He has swapped out these titles and authors for more Dickens and Austen.
Critics of his decision believe that literature should be more inclusive. Great Britain is a country with a huge and varied immigrant population. If this list only stresses what some liberals call the works of “Dead White Men,” students will not be exposed to the world around them today.
Great Britain has contributed enormously to the field of literature. But, in smaller ways, so have so many other countries and cultures. What a shame to reduce exposure by British students to so many fine books and authors.