Has ‘wokeness’ killed the English literature
degree?
Arguably the biggest contributory factor shaping how
we regard and teach English literature has been the catastrophic decline in
reading and the commensurate increase in illiteracy rates. A recent survey by
the National Literacy Trust Survey found that reading for pleasure among the
under 18s is at its lowest since the survey began in 2005, with only 20.5 per
cent saying they read daily in their free time, down from 28 per cent in 2023.
One academic I spoke to said they have abandoned asking students to read entire
novels because they know they won’t bother.
“Literature depends on nuance,” says one teacher at a
private school. “But students now struggle the most with tonal variation: the
ability to detect irony and humour. And the only way you learn to do that is by
reading enough books.” Our addiction to social media is an overwhelming factor.
“Gone are the days of kids sitting down with a book because they would rather
be scrolling on their phones,” says Zainab Kar, head of English at Riverside
School, a leading state school in Barking, east London. “Nor do I see parents
leading by example.”
Illiteracy is costing America — here’s why
Why Students No Longer Read Books
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Is Education in Decline?
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