Do you think this poem should be banned?

[toolly]

Here it is www.sumption.org/2006/05/23/education-for-leisure
An invigilator things it glorifies knife crime. I think rather than watching people taking exams she should take some because this poem in no way glamorises street violence.

It is a fantastic piece of writing - just not a pretty subject. Duffy's poems reflect her experiences; knife culture and a macabre fascinatation with killing is sadly inherent within our society.
Sadly, not liking the topic doesn't make it go away.

She is great. Havisham is superb!

Guardian

The examiner doesn't sound very bright; I'm astonished that AQA took any notice of her.

Oh I forgot to say - even though I think it's awful I don't think it should be banned. It could provide a platform for intelligent discussion of disordered behaviour.

thanks for that link janeite. I really like that poem!

Loved that poem in response! Shouldn't imagine Mrs Schofield has a clue what half if it means!

Sorry mabanana I wasn't interested enough to write a more structure response than 'how unpleasant'.

It is ridiculous to suggest it should be banned.

I do not think it is a particularly great piece of writing - although I can see why it is accessible for GCSE students.

SOrry - it just sounded all so prim and proper. Which good or great literature isn't. I don't think I could ever read Lord of The Flies again ever, because it's completely horrible.

As a reader of poetry, I quite like Carol Ann Duffy. As a teacher, I love her work - as others have said, it engages & provokes students all the way across the ability range.

I'm more worried about the quality of English GCSE examiners tbh.

'[Mrs Schofield] described the poem as "a bit weird. But having read her other poems I found they were all a little bit weird. But that's me".'

FFS. How on earth could this woman be considered competent to assess student responses to poetry?

I think she was an exam invigilator Raven, not an examiner, who happened to look over a student's shoulder and then delved into the anthology. The newspaper that reported it doesn't understand the difference between exam invigilator and examiner.

Ah OK!

We've just changed back to AQA from OCR, & I was rather looking forward to teaching Carol Ann Duffy.

I think the original poem & the riposte might just find their way into my Y8 teaching this year...

Nothing to about Raven, the newspaper got it wrong.

Year 8 get all the good stuff, mine are going to do a salacious psycho-sexual murder: Porphyria's Lover

Nice!

I'm hitting mine with 'Isabella, or The Pot of Basil' followed by 'Where The Wild Roses Grow' by Nick Cave .

Scheme of work is based on ye olde AQA 'Hearts & Partners', but there's always room for a spot of salacious psycho-sexual murder

FGS. Banning literature? OK. Hands up who wants to live in a police state?

They're not actually "banning" the poem though, are they? They're just removing it from the exam - teachers can still teach it if they wish, but students won't be examined on it. That's how I understood it, anyway.

i rahter liked it

I think it is a good poem and wouldn't be upset if my children had to study it.

I am confused what you mean by an invigilator. Do you mean exam invigilator? If so do you have link.

My feeling is that its up to exam boards and the governant to decide what should be included in GCSE. No one is suggesting that the poem is banned, it is just for selected for study for GCSE.

good piece on this on Radio 4's pm yesterday, I think it's a disgrace that it's been taken out of the anthology. All good literature challenges and asks us to question and if we're banning violent and unpleasant work then how about Hamlet and King Lear.

And the woman who complained was an examiner, she was marking papers, came across it and complained. She complained 2 years running and eventually went to MP who was instrumental in getting it taken off syllabus.

Totally agree with Heated's comment: on Sat 06-Sep-08 21:55:46

Children get it, it's adults, who tend to see things at face value, who don't.

Agree with Donnie and all you others who say that nasty things are often the subject of great literature - what about the war poets for instance?

FWIW (and I am not a teacher) I think it's a thought-provoking poem that would resonate with readers of varying ability.

I see nothing wrong with it being part of an exam paper at secondary school.

Its a horrible poem but no I dont think it should be banned.
On the other hand though I think there is better out there that could be studied instead.

Katie Rocket, there have been 3 complaints to AQA. The most recent complaint was made by Lutterworth grammar school's exams invigilator, Pat Schofield, who welcomed the board's decision and said: "I think it is absolutely horrendous - what sort of message is that to give to kids who are reading it as part of their GCSE syllabus?"

She clearly hasn't read The Hitcher!

Bronze, 'Education for Leisure' is most commonly compared with the worthies 'My Last Duchess' and 'Laboratory'.

Exam invigilators are often highly educated women. Its casual work that tends to be done by young mothers who want some cash. When I did exam invigilation I met women with PHds and some ex teachers.

What surprises me is that she was reading the paper. She should have been watching the kids making sure they aren't cheating.