In The News
Harry Potter and the A-Levels
BooksThe Daily Mail is reporting tonight that Harry Potter is now required reading for A-level students in the UK. The paper says that Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone is one of the books students will be tested on in exams given by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), the largest exam board in the UK.
According to the paper, students “taking the English language and literature A-level next year will study Rowling’s first Potter volume – the 12th best-selling book of all time and the basis for a Hollywood film – along with one other book for the module Themes in Language and Literature. They will have to write a 1,200 to 1,500-word piece of coursework comparing the “approaches” of J.K. Rowling and the other writer.Examiners will mark students on how they relate story lines and the activities of Harry Potter and his friends to the context of the times. And students will have to show an understanding of J.K. Rowling’s use of language, described recently as gibberish by a High Court judge. They will also have to write their own 500 to 800-word story inspired by the book.”
While many here may view this favorably, apparently some in the English government are not as excited about the inclusion of the Harry Potter series along side other classic works such Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.
Professor Alan Smithers, a special adviser to the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee, said: “The point of English literature is to provide works that have stood the test of time and that allow people to understand their place in the world as others have understood it.I don’t think Harry Potter is appropriate as a set text; I don’t see how it fits in with that. It may be an enjoyable read but I don’t think we are just trying to keep people occupied.”
Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, added: “This is all done in the name of relevance and popular culture, but it is not why children go to school.They should be encouraged to read and understand the great works of English literature. Harry Potter may be what children want to read, but that doesn’t mean it should be part of an A-level.”
Last night the AQA said: “Harry Potter is a genuine example of literature of our time and therefore entirely deserves its place in this unit. We believe that it will prove a popular and engaging inclusion.”
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No way. Horrible idea. JK Rowling has a fantastic imagination, but she’s not a great author. A-level kids studying her will only have their literature skills suffer. Makes me glad I’ve chosen the IB. Seriously, Harry Potter is enjoyable, but I would hate to study it. Give me Harper Lee or May Gibbs any day.
Lol, thanks for the Wiki link xD had no idea what an A Level was
I think this is a fantastic idea. I have always believed that the so-called “literary canon” needs to be updated to contain todays classics. Who decided that something like Hamlet is so much better than a series like Harry Potter? The old great works are included on the list, ensuring their survival through the ages, yes. But newsflash, those authors are all dead. If the canon does not start including modern great works they will be the ones to disappear in time, and the loss of a work like Harry Potter, that have gotten SO many children interested in reading for the first time, would truly be tragic.
Congrats to the AQA for realizing that, like all things, the appreciation of literature must change, update, and improve over time.
Harry Potter IS great literature. Its not just to keep ppl busy or entertaining. I wish we took test on HP in my school
Harry Potter IS great literature. Its not just to keep ppl busy or entertaining. I wish we took test on HP in my school
Oh man, that’s awesome! I wish I lived in the UK! We could all own that test. If only the SAT was based on HP..
I love Harry Potter and do regard it as a great work, but considering I read the first book as a third grader, it’s a little strange that they would make high school students study it.
YOU ARE KIDDING ME!!
I’m just coming to the end of that A Level! We got to choose the books for our coursework for the second year but I was told Harry Potter wasn’t deemed suitable! What a joke! Might fail on purpose so I can retake with that coursework!
Having said that it did lead me to reading A Clockwork Orange which I though was class.
Still, Seems like a good idea to me, though maybe Deathly Hallows is more appropriate- possibly comparing with another novel on the representation of death? Maybe that’s asking too much!
awesome, they finally did this. one question though don’t they need Jo’s approval?
man—that makes me actually want to take a test!!! awesome!! maybe soon it’ll become part of my schools required reading! vive xe
I don’t know about this. I love Harry Potter but it honestly hasn’t been around long enough to be considered a literary classic…yet. I definitely think that students should be allowed to write about it. The book has had a huge impact on pop culture and it would also be in an interesting study into the models of classic mythology and the idea of the hero and death…but I just don’t think that it should be REQUIRED reading, especially the first book which is definitely not as literarily advanced as the the others.
I wish it were a part of my Interpretation of Fiction course. That would be sweeeeeet. And to the people who are like, “JK Rowling isn’t a good author” wtf are you doing on this website? lol
I think that Harry Potter is marvellous in introducing young kids to reading, but there is a point where you have to move beyond Harry Potter. Sure it’s fun, but it doesn’t challange your thinking at all. However, from what I see, it’s just the first book that they’re including – which should be fine as long it hasn’t replaced something better like Great Expectations or Nineteen Eighty-Four. It would be rather interesting to study the Harry Potter phenomena and get students to think about why it’s so popular, but the UK education system should be extremely careful in how far they push with it. To me, writing a tiny 800 word story ‘inspired by the book’ would be a waste of everybody’s time at this level of schooling. But if the students are made to think analytically and critically about it, this might not turn out to be the worst idea proposed in the history of the 21st century.
I wish they do it here in the U.S. I will past the test with flying colors. I believe that they should go through with the idea and let students enjoy studying Rowling’s books.
I think it’s a great idea. Harry Potter is not only a novel, it’s a phenomenon, and I think that in itself makes it suitable, even necessary to study, particularly for the British.
I think it’s a great idea. Harry Potter is not only a novel, it’s a phenomenon, and I think that in itself makes it suitable, even necessary to study, particularly for the British.
Posted by Sam: “I love Harry Potter and do regard it as a great work, but considering I read the first book as a third grader, it’s a little strange that they would make high school students study it.”
I don’t think it is strange at all. Consider an example from American Literature, Huckleberry Finn. There are many third graders out there with the capability to read and enjoy Huckleberry Finn. However, Huckleberry Finn is also perfectly acceptable reading for the AP Literature and Composition test. The story is easily understood and enjoyed, however it has compex themes, symbolism, and allusion that are not so easily understood and that are prime material for sophisticated analysis. I think that Harry Potter is very similar in this respect, and anyone who has the capability of seeing this complexity, but refuses to do so because HP is “popular” or “modern” is seriously underestimating and disrespecting the text.
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Leaky Poll
Since DH was published, your interest in Potter fandom has:
- Increased! I'm more involved now than I ever was!2778 (23%)
- It's stayed at the same level of fun it always has!4128 (35%)
- Decreased slightly: I only check sites a few times a week now.3088 (26%)
- Severely lowered. Without new canon, I'm bored.1262 (10%)
- It's gone. In fact, I can't even answer this poll because I'm not really visting a Potter site.398 (3%)
:O
Why couldn’t they have this when I was doing MY A levels?
Then I would have actually taken English :D