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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Schools neglect poetry

64 replies

Wuldric · 28/09/2013 14:32

I adore Carol Ann Duffy and I made sure that I had tickets for her performance in my city. The reading was in fact sensational.

But the thing that I noticed, was that both DD's school and DS's school had not booked any tickets. If I were an English teacher (which I am not) I would have ensured that my A level class at least was there in force. No-one was there from either of my DC's schools apart from my DCs. It isn't every day that Carol Ann Duffy comes to town. Do you think I am being unreasonable in thinking that the schools in question were being pretty, well, useless in not taking students there?

OP posts:

Sleepyhead33 · 28/09/2013 14:44

Do you also think the pupils' parents were being 'pretty,well,useless' in not taking them?

SilverApples · 28/09/2013 14:46

I love the idea of students grabbing any opportunity with both hands to get to live stuff, supported by school or college.
But is she on the curriculum this year, for the boards they are taking? Was it an evening activity? Why did no other parents do what you did?
DD did drama A level, and her college were fantastic at getting them to all sorts of performances.

FriendlyLadybird · 28/09/2013 14:47

I dunno. I love poetry, but don't usually like poetry readings. Poems always seem to sound so much better in my head. If were an English teacher (which I'm not) I might let my students know that something like this was happening, but wouldn't force them to go.

I think it's rather a leap to assume from this one experience that schools neglect poetry.

SilverApples · 28/09/2013 14:48

DS did Art A level. At the beginning of the year, the college asked for £30 to cover visits to galleries and exhibitions which solved the grinding tedium of extracting cash for each visit.

RooRooTaToot · 28/09/2013 14:59

I am an English teacher and my sixth form students are studying CAD's poetry. If she visited my town I would would let my students know and some would arrange to go and see it. The paperwork mountain for trips is rather immense. We study 13 texts during the 6th form course and try to arrange for students to see as many as possible.

We use the local cinema to screen films of the texts and for theatre trips, some we arrange and others students arrange themselves. We're doing a theatre trip next month, but due to the popularity of it and the limited run time, no school tickets were available so we grabbed the few we could. A group of students have already seen it having organised a day trip themselves.

There may have been groups of sixth formers there that you didn't recognise as such.

RooRooTaToot · 28/09/2013 15:00

Additionally, it is National Poetry Day this Thursday and we are planning a massive whole school celebration of poetry.

We appreciate it.

ProphetOfDoom · 28/09/2013 15:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SilverApples · 28/09/2013 15:03

Love Chaucer.

CleverWittyUsername · 28/09/2013 15:03

We always book when possible but our school has a policy of all trips being put in the calendar a year in advance. Quite often with theatre trips, readings, performances and so on, the schedules aren't available so far ahead. Also Duffy will not be on the syllabus for all children depending on the exam board and which English course they are taking, so while interesting, may not be directly relevant to your children's exams.

SilverApples · 28/09/2013 15:07

It's why either having parents that are interested, or having students motivated enough to organise themselves is essential.
I was 16 when I was at the CFE in Oxford. I wallowed in the available opportunities and saw so many fabulous and exciting productions. Usually with a couple of friends.

Original poster

Wuldric · 28/09/2013 15:12

But is she on the curriculum this year, for the boards they are taking? Was it an evening activity? Why did no other parents do what you did?

I have no idea whether or not CAD is on the curriculum. Is that relevant? Surely young 'uns should be taken regardless. No idea about other parents tbh.

OP posts:

MrsMongoose · 28/09/2013 15:18

Were there any GCSE kids? Carol Anne Duffy is covered in the GCSE anthology, not so much at A Level. We'd moved on top the love of my life - Philip Larkin - by then.

ProphetOfDoom · 28/09/2013 15:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CleverWittyUsername · 28/09/2013 15:35

I have no idea whether or not CAD is on the curriculum. Is that relevant?

Yes. We wouldn't be allowed any of the budget unless it was directly linked to the anthology the Lit students follow. The Lang students do no cover Duffy at all so wouldn't go.

TrueStory · 28/09/2013 16:16

poetry. just another vote for it, anytime, anywhere! not exam or school-trip related. just a whole bunch of it, old, new! i still remember fairly vividly the "week"we did poetry in my secondary school.

TrueStory · 28/09/2013 16:17

overthemill · 28/09/2013 16:22

CAD is always on the bloody gcse and A level syllabus here! English teacher and 3 of my own kids who have been/ are going through it. I hate CAD with a passion. So many other, brilliant female poets who could be studied. That said, schools have limited budgets and are mindful of costs for parents. Also the form filling and risk assessment for trips is immense. I encourage my students to go and see a wide range of live performances as it helps them understand the texts even if they are not studying that one.

Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme · 28/09/2013 16:24

Our primary school is slightly obsessed with poetry. They're always off to Snape Maltings concert hall down the road for some poetry reading, or one of the kids has won a competition and is reading it out, or someone's been selected for inclusion in a collection of poetry. They're always reading class poems out in assembly. They love it.

I'd quite like a bit of prose, actually, for a change.

TrueStory · 28/09/2013 16:32

but i suspect thats all fogotten by secondary as thet are drilled in shakespeare, dickens, etc (unless things have changed).

shewhowines · 28/09/2013 16:36

Sorry, I can't see the point of poetry.

Original poster

Wuldric · 28/09/2013 16:46

I hope you will someday shewhowines. Poetry is important. It might be the thing that moves the armed soldiers in Somalia (you read up on this -because it is) it might be the thing that works in music or rap, or it might be the thing that lives with you forever. Poetry matters. More prosaically, if you are studying English, and Carol Ann Duffy comes to town, you go.

OP posts:

shewhowines · 28/09/2013 16:58

I know I should appreciate it but I just can't. It does nothing for me at all except send me to sleep. I once dumped a boyfriend who wrote me a poem. I think I am a lost cause.

I feel the same about Shakespeare.

SilverApples · 28/09/2013 17:04

Shew, don't take it to heart, you sound exactly like my DD.
She has no time for Shakespeare, Chaucer or poetry. Fortunately in her case, the world needs nerds in other disciplines too.
She had a diet rich in the glories of English literature from before she could speak, but she turned out an individual with her own preferences.
Hates history too.
Yet somehow, she is my DD.

Tinlegs · 28/09/2013 17:05

Not sure why teachers are to blame. Surely, if you parents are interested, they should take you. Schools can't be responsible for every opportunity for learning, parents have to start somewhere. We take ours to things, when we can, we also can't always.

Good on you taking them. Do you also cover things in the curriculum that you are less interested in?

SilverApples · 28/09/2013 17:06

'Do you also cover things in the curriculum that you are less interested in?'

Ouch!

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