Laureate attacks poetry teaching

Children's Laureate Michael Rosen have said authorities literacy policy is having a "disastrous" consequence on poetry.

He spoke out after an Ofsted study said poesy was taught well in two-thirds of schools but there was room for improvement.

Inspectors in England establish most students liked poesy but had only a limited cognition of classic poems.

Schools often concentrated on preparing children for examinations at the disbursal of instruction poetry, the study said.

The study establish poesy instruction in primary and secondary schools was at least satisfactory in all 86 primary and secondary schools visited.

However, the quality of poesy instruction varied greatly and remained "under-developed" in many schools.

This was reflected in the limited scope of verse forms studied and pupils' limited experience of classic verse forms and verse forms from other civilizations and traditions.

"Although these verse forms were mostly deserving studying, many of them were relatively lightweight and students had only limited experience of classic verse forms and verse forms from other civilizations and traditions," said inspectors.

The consequence of Sats and indeed the whole literacy strategy, have got to my mind, been black for poetry

Michael Rosen, Children's Laureate

Provision was slightly better in primary schools than in secondary schools.

But many primary instructors did not cognize adequate about poesy and focused on a narrow scope of relatively easy plant by modern writers, the study found.

Children's experience of poesy suffered, inspectors said, through the "emphasis over recent old age on raising criteria of basic literacy" and national tests.

"Poetry featured less in the English course of study in Old Age 6 and 9 in the schools visited because too many instructors focused on preparing students for the tests," said inspectors.

The Children's Laureate have condemned the consequence of the government's accent on examination results.

Mr Rosen told the BBC News website: "The consequence of Sats and indeed the whole literacy strategy, have got to my mind, been black for poetry.

"Poetry is either sidelined or subjected to unpointed questioning on the supposed 'facts' of a verse form and children pass their clip numeration metaphors and proving what that this or that brands a verse form effective.

"Effective for who? The children aren't asked. I welcome the fact that this study travels some of the manner to exposing what's going on."

The laureate - who wrote the best-selling children's book "We're going on a bear hunt" - is not alone in criticising authorities policy.

The National Association for the Teaching of English Language (Nate) states instructors are under too much pressure level to acquire children through exams.

A 'luxury'

Nate manager Ian McNeilly said: "For a instructor under pressure level to present consequences there may be cherished small clip or disposition to analyze countries which are not for assessment.

"It's depressing that some schools might not be encouraging things like the survey of poetry, reading for pleasance and piquant with textual matters just for fun.

"All instruction and learning stems from pleasance and the appraisal system is choking the merriment out of the originative facets of the instruction of English."

In secondary school, poesy instruction did not supply a "coherent" readying for studying English Language at A-level, the study claimed.

I desire to see a coevals of immature people who cognize their poesy from W. H. Auden to Zephaniah and their sonnets from sestinas

Saint Andrew Adonis, Schools Minister

Teachers also failed to give adolescents the opportunity to compose their ain poesy during the GCSE years.

The study said: "Once students have got embarked on their GCSE course, most instructors experience that there is too small clip in a crowded scrutiny timetable for what they comprehend as a luxury."

The authorities have admitted it desires to make more than to promote children to bask poetry.

Schools Curate Saint Andrew Adonis said: "Poetry is an indispensable portion of the instruction of English Language literature and it is embedded in the national course of study at all cardinal stages.

"It's vital it is taught in an piquant way. Understanding the mechanics of linguistic communication and being able to show yourself creatively and concisely are really of import skills.

"As we made clear when we reviewed the secondary course of study this year, instructors should encompass but not be confined to the classics.

"There is a myth that poesy is indeterminate - which instructors can detonate by introducing students to a wide scope of poets, from different eras, styles and cultures.

"I desire to see a coevals of immature people who cognize their poesy from W. H. Auden to Zephaniah and their sonnets from sestinas."

Ofsted said the 10 most commonly taught verse forms in primary schools were: The Highjacker - Aelfred Noyes

On the Ning, Nang, Nong - Spike Milligan

Jabberwocky - Jerry Lee Lewis Carroll

The Owl and the Pussycat - Prince Edward Lear

From a Railway Passenger Car - RL Stevenson

The Listeners - Bruno Walter Delaware lanthanum Mare

The Magic Box - Kit Willard Huntington Wright

The Sound Collector - Roger McGough

Revolting Rhymes - Roald Pigeon Pea

Dog in the Resort - Allan Ahlberg