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Authors warn of closing doors for diversity in schools
27 Jan
Summary
- GCSE English literature has only 1.9% of pupils studying authors of color.
- At current pace, 10% of students will study authors of color by 2046.
- Inclusion in schools faces a 'tide turning against' diversity efforts.
Bernardine Evaristo, a Booker prize winner, has voiced concerns that progress in diversifying England's GCSE English literature curriculum is alarmingly slow. She warns that this stagnation risks young people growing up in a society where "doors are closing" and inclusion is under threat.
According to a report by the campaign group Lit in Colour, only 1.9% of GCSE pupils in England currently study books by authors of colour. This represents a slight increase from 0.7% five years ago, but at the current rate, it will take until 2046 to reach 10% of students. This is significantly slower than desired, especially as 38% of pupils in English schools are from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Lit in Colour, a collaboration involving Penguin Random House and the Runnymede Trust, highlights that while the proportion of set texts by authors of colour has risen to 36%, many teachers still opt for familiar texts due to a lack of resources and training time. Evaristo emphasizes that as diversity faces opposition, ensuring these texts are on the curriculum becomes even more crucial.
The Department for Education stated that the curriculum will allow teachers to choose a wider range of texts and authors. Meanwhile, author Lee Child has been appointed as the first prison reading laureate to promote literacy among prisoners, aiming to reduce reoffending.
