Meera Syal and George Orwell will be part of the newly announced English literature GCSE reading list, alongside Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, after it was announced British texts would be the main focus.
Recently deceased author and poet Maya Angelou will be dropped from the syllabus, alongside John Steinbeck and Harper Lee.
However there are no American novels or plays on the AQA exam syllabus, despite Michael Gove stating there is no "ban."
The new GCSE syllabus has been under speculation amidst Gove revealing that American classics To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Menhave been cut from the exam board. The new specification calls for "fiction or drama from the British Isles from 1914 onwards" which effectively excludes American modern classics such as these.
However, a spokesperson for the Deparment of Education said these requirements represent "only the minimum pupils will be expected to learn" and there is no ban on any novels. The DfE spokesperson also told BBC News stated that exam boards could still include modern writers from outside the British Isles.
Exam board AQA have responded to the recent outrage saying: "Technically it would not be impossible to add additional texts beyond the essential requirements, to do so would place an unacceptable assessment burden on teachers and students."
The impact that these new texts will have on teachers is one htat has been considered. Paul Dodd, OCR’s head of GCSE and A-level reform, told The Daily Mail: ‘We understand of course that the new syllabus will be a challenge for teachers (..) but we will be with them every step of the way.’
Whilst these new exam requirements will provide GCSE students with the opportunity to encounter new and exciting texts, specifications like the previous section on the OCR exam board entitled 'prose from different cultures' will no longer be taught.
Five texts you might not read following the syllabus changes:
Five Great American Texts Michael Gove forgot about
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (01 of05)
Open Image ModalA novel narrated by seventeen-year old college drop-out Holden Caulfield, J.D Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is the perfect text to study at a secondary school level. Holden pinpoints the disaffected youth with clarity, wit and charm. Plus the teenage colloquialisms of the time, "phony" and "crumby" being my favourites, show Salinger's talent for giving the youth a voice. (credit:http://www.waterstones.com/)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (02 of05)
Open Image ModalA dystopian novel that depicts a world where fiction is banned, Fahrenheit 451 seems an oddly appropriate novel to include in this list. Bradbury's novel has everything; excitement, mystery, tension and an unknown world. But what really makes the novel prevalent is its darkly prophetic outlook on a world without literature - this would give the kids something to chew on when revising in the summer. (credit:http://www.waterstones.com/)
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (03 of05)
Open Image ModalA classic from the 1960's that gave Jack Nicholson an Oscar for the book's film adaptation, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest would be far more likely to capture a class's attention than Wordsworth. Set in a mental ward, the novel tells the stories of its patients who rebel against Nurse Ratched, one of the most detestable yet brilliant characters in literature. (credit:www.waterstones.com)
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennesse Williams (04 of05)
Open Image ModalSet in a smoky, bluesy New Orleans, A Streetcar Named Desire is a play that demonstrates the power of metaphorical language and self-destruction of anxiety on an individual. Full of colour and light imagery, this play is perfect to study at GCSE without alienating students. The topics of immigrant discrimination and feminine promiscuity are relevant today, nearly 70 years after its publication. (credit:www.waterstones.com)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (05 of05)
Open Image ModalA firm favourite in all book-lover's eyes, losing The Great Gatsby from British curriculum would be devastating. Fitzgerald identifies the dangers of consumerism and human desire in a blistering novel of murder, romance and the power of persona. (credit:www.waterstones.com)
What do you think? Did you read Of Mice and Men or To Kill A Mockingbird at GCSE? How did it affect your education? Are Orwell and Syal a welcome addition? Have your say @HPUKStudents.