... to think that Shakespeare should be taught in schools?

[LorelaiVictoriaGilmore]

Just that really. I had a massive argument with my sister this afternoon about a number of things to do with the education system in the UK but this is one of the key points we disagreed on. I think it is good that Shakespeare is taught in schools because there lots of kids who do get something out of it and there are kids who may go on to university to study drama or English literature and it would be a shame if they got to 18 and had never been taught Shakespeare. My sister thinks it shouldn't be taught in schools because lots of kids will never 'get' it and never use it. She thinks that those kids who do want to go to uni to read English literature or drama will discover it on their own. I can sort of see what she's saying, especially given the number of kids who leave school without good literacy skills... but I still think I'm right! AIBU?

I desperately wanted to learn Shakespeare at school but only the top stream got to do that, I was at the top of the stream below that. This was before the internet and TV on demand. I felt very left out when people made references to his works, made me feel as if I had been deemed too thick to learn it, which I guess I was.

I've taught Shakespeare every year bar three of my forty years in teaching. His writing is tip-top, and not to encounter it is to be denied an experience in education.
One way to view access to Shakespeare is as an entitlement, an equal opportunities issue. You can be sure the public/private schools aren't ditching the Bard. It's part of our cultural capital.

Its very challenge makes it worthwhile:

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061218122613.html

I loved Shakespeare in school- we studied Romeo and Juliet, Merchant of Venice, Hamlet andking Lear. Lear was the only one I didn’t love! Read a few more for pleasure myself. We saw performances of each either on stage or screen.

Agree with echt that for any English speaker Shakespeare's work is part of our cultural capital. It needs to be taught well and the beauty of the language brought alive. Some kids will not connect with it and some will, but it would be a huge loss to miss out on the kind of enrichment that it offers.

Shakespeare is BORING AND DATED! And I got an A at GCSE!!! There are other books/ plays

One way to view access to Shakespeare is as an entitlement, an equal opportunities issue. You can be sure the public/private schools aren't ditching the Bard. It's part of our cultural capital.

An excellent point Echt.

Come to our Primary school in two weeks time!
From Nursery to Year 6, every class is learning about a Shakespeare play and will be loving it!

Year 5 and 6 work towards a full performance, Year 4 are linking AMND to their English poetry unit and writing spells and poems about the forest, Year 3 are using Henry 5 to write persuasive speeches, Year 1 and Year 2 are working on R+J - families who don't get on and making masks/learning dances for the ball, Nursery and Reception are learning about the Island in the Tempest and making up spells to make Ariel fly.

By the end of the topic, they will know at least one Shakespeare play really well and (most importantly) they will have a sense of ownership - a belief that Shakespeare is for them, that they can understand his plays and that when they come across his work again in Secondary that they expect to enjoy it.

Please noblegiraffe, what was the title of the Diana Wynne Jones book?

I want to go to Kingscote. Mind you, I've wanted that for 40 years .

Have you read The Player's Boy & The Players & The Rebels, @KingscoteStaff?

Gruach the Diana Wynne Jones book is called Reflections on the Magic of Writing. It’s a collection of lectures and articles she gave/wrote about writing, and it’s absolutely fascinating.

www.amazon.co.uk/Reflections-Diana-Wynne-Jones/dp/0385654030/ref=pd_cp_14_2?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforum-21&refRID=6K6XA2Q3FSA0N2HJ0289

Purple yes indeed. Every now and again I have a dream that I find an Antonia Forest book I haven't read yet... Sad wakings.

noble I love that book. Inspired a lot of thoughts for my PGCE dissertation.

Thank you!

^So, in other words, she doesn't get it in its original form.

Tell me again why it's ridiculous that other kids don't get it.^

No, she doesn't understand Shakespearean words that have completely dissolved from the English Language. Or, there are some words that we still use, but with a completely different meaning today. Kids need to have that information.

Once they do, it's perfectly easy to understand. The vocabulary is difficult, but you could say that for thousands of novels. Shakespeare's gift with words is wonderful, important, and they should be able to analyse and read into things, spot patterns and motifs, and comprehend meaning. Good skill to have, IMO.