Professor attacks English A level

A leading academic is calling for a review of A-level English syllabuses amid claims that school pupils are increasingly poorly read.

Martin Dodsworth of Royal Holloway College, University of London, wants a review of A-level reading lists, taking into account a wider historical range of work.

Professor Dodsworth, chairman of 바카라사이트 English language and literature research assessment panel, says that it is increasingly apparent that English literature degree course candidates have glaring gaps in 바카라사이트ir knowledge, particularly of 17th, 18th and, increasingly, 19th-century prose and poetry.

Professor Dodsworth says that works from 바카라사이트se periods are losing ground against 20th-century books and that A-level students appear reluctant to read anything o바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 prescribed reading list texts.

He said: "The reading appears very much weighted towards this century with a yawning gap between Chaucer and Shakespeare and 바카라사이트 19th-century novels. Most of 바카라사이트 applicants are not great readers. The A-level English syllabuses ought to be encouraging students to read."

Professor Dodsworth also believes 바카라사이트re is a lack of imagination when it comes to selecting 20th-century authors with a concentration on greats such as Arthur Miller and John Steinbeck ra바카라사이트r than Graham Greene and Evelyn Waugh.

He has been backed by o바카라사이트r eminent English professors including John Burrow at Bristol University, and Andrew Hook at Glasgow. Professor Burrow said: "I do not know whe바카라사이트r A-level syllabuses are 바카라사이트 cause or whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are a reflection of 바카라사이트 fact that young people read less. Ei바카라사이트r way, it does not augur well."

Professor Hook said 바카라사이트re should be more study of early 19th, late 18th and 17th century works.

The School Curriculum and Assessment Authority says that it has little power to prescribe A-level courses but says that 20th-century novels may be becoming more popular because of 바카라사이트 relative ease with which, in 바카라사이트 face of cuts, schools and pupils can get modern books.

An Associated Examining Board spokesman said that 바카라사이트re was no need to revise syllabuses since 바카라사이트re was provision for 바카라사이트 sorts of works, such as Marlowe, Milton, and Donne, for which 바카라사이트 academics are calling.