The 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.”
Too many people see Harry Potter as a simple children’s book because of its story of a boy wizard yet, they are missing some of the deeper meanings. Harry Potter can be read by children because it is understandable and the plot is appealing. I, myself, read until Goblet of Fire when I was eight. At the time, I didn’t read it as a book to be analyzed; I read it as a really good story that I was unable to put down. Now, however, at fifteen, I can read past the plot and understand some of Jo’s morals and be able to discuss the series further. Hopefully people will look past the plot and storyline of Harry Potter and realize the many themes in the series. Jo has a distinct style of writing and it’s great that UK schools realize that. She may not be the greatest writer (and thus, cannot be compared to Shakepeare, Austen, Dickens) but, her use of humor, wit, sarcasm, symbolism, and mythology amongst other literary techniques make her a writer that deserves to be studied.
I wish schools in America would include Harry Potter in their curriculums!
I did my A levels 2 years ago and had to compare schol life in the first book and tom browns school days! Schools have been doing it ages so the Daily mail is a bit slow with the news!
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.
Posted by Katie on April 26, 2008 @ 08:34 PM
Ok, so I don’t know much about A-levels since I’m only in grade nine in the US, but I was in the IB during middle school (not anymore though) and in that porgram at least I you’re right. It’d be a pain in the butt to annalyze. :-)
Posted by Gryffindor'sResidentDuck on April 27, 2008, 09:29 PM
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I am totally taking English Lit as my A-Levels now; I could submit my fanfic as coursework (lol)!!! I wish they let GCSE English Lit students study Harry Potter too, then I would feel happy about my exams (which start in about 12hrs ARGH!!!!!) because I know it all inside-out.
Posted by Soph_should_be_studying_English.Lit_and_History_now_for_her_examsin_the_morning on April 27, 2008, 11:22 PM
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Gryffindor’sResidentDuck does raise an important question, for those of us here in the colonies: would one of the contributers from the UK take a moment to explain A levels so that we’re all discussing the same thing?
Chanal, I think your point about including HP needs to be put it into a more nuanced perspective: 1. clearly you mean including HP along with a lot of other materials, which makes sense (note the “along with a lot”), and 2. a background in Greek mythology and established literary traditions will only deepen your appreciation of HP since that is the solid grounding that JKR herself is drawing upon for inspiration.
Finally, I must point out that current popularity does not mean importance over the long term…about forty years ago, the huge best sellers were “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” and “Love Story”. Fourteen years ago it was “Forrest Gump” (people saw the film and assumed the book would be of the same calibre). Anyone here read them recently?
for those who think jo is a bad writer, leave. now. and her workdoes provoke thought. to really understand the plots and characters you do have to think about what is going on. the later books dont just hand you the information. jo gives you time to think and come to your own conclusions before giving you her answer
Of course anybody would study Harry Potter than the crap they teach nowadays…..at least kids will be excited about writing a test for the first time ever=))
I’m sure this has probably already been mentioned at some point in this response thread, but I think it’s entirely appropriate for Harry Potter to be on the syllabus.
Much like Shakespeare, Jo uses allegory to make comment on current world trends and issues. Think of all the things her books address, whether full-on or implied – child abuse, racism, slavery, government corruption, discrimination, hate crimes, ethnic cleansing, resistance fighting – and you can see that an in-depth study of PS could be the source of several excellent classroom debates.
By saying that, I’m not comparing Jo to Shakespeare – that would be an unfair comparison to make. Both authors are very much writers that are a reflection of their time.
Yes, it’s a children’s book, yes, PS is somewhat (necessarily) simplistic, but it’s the writing and the underlying adult themes that make adults a big part of the audience. If the Harry Potter series was just some rip-roaring children’s adventure story from start to finish, it wouldn’t have inspired the kind of devotion that it has.
Anything that gets teenagers excited and involved can only be a very good thing.
Kids these days don’t know how lucky they are! Getting a set text that they can relate to and comprehend is more than I could wish for when I did my A-levels!
How does Shakespeare and Jane Eyre prepare students for the real world?
There must be easier and more effective ways to inspire good handwriting.
OMG! i am sooo excited. I am stating my A-levels next year so it means i can take this course :D i’m actually looking forward to taking the exam now. i think i might actully pass with full marks for once :L my mum is always saying “if you want to do English Lit next year you better start reading other books apart from Harry Potter.” Well looks like my ignoring her paid off :D :L
Oh no, I hope I don’t have to do this! Analyzing books like that ruins them, I still haven’t reconciled myself with “Of Mice and Men”... I love Harry Potter too much for it to be ruined by my having to write essays on it.
Half a dozen badges slid out of the metal chute where returned coins usually appeared. Hermione scooped them up and handed them mutely to Harry over Ginny's head; he glanced at the topmost one.[br]HARRY POTTER[br]RESCUE MISSION
Too many people see Harry Potter as a simple children’s book because of its story of a boy wizard yet, they are missing some of the deeper meanings. Harry Potter can be read by children because it is understandable and the plot is appealing. I, myself, read until Goblet of Fire when I was eight. At the time, I didn’t read it as a book to be analyzed; I read it as a really good story that I was unable to put down. Now, however, at fifteen, I can read past the plot and understand some of Jo’s morals and be able to discuss the series further. Hopefully people will look past the plot and storyline of Harry Potter and realize the many themes in the series. Jo has a distinct style of writing and it’s great that UK schools realize that. She may not be the greatest writer (and thus, cannot be compared to Shakepeare, Austen, Dickens) but, her use of humor, wit, sarcasm, symbolism, and mythology amongst other literary techniques make her a writer that deserves to be studied. I wish schools in America would include Harry Potter in their curriculums!