Literature should be taught from O’level

Literature is a very interesting and useful subject to students but the current trends in the education system do not give the subject adequate space on the curriculum. The subject is not examined at ordinary level implying that most schools do not offer it. It is only examined at advanced level and there are very few schools where it is taught. Those who do it are not confident enough to excel. The curriculum developers should do something about the subject to make it popular to students. I think it is not appropriate for the administrators of the schools that have Literature at advanced level to just base on the students’ performance in English Language examinations at ordinary level to determine who should study the subject from senior four to senior six. Even if a given student scored a distinction in English, he may find Literature to be very hard because his reading culture may not be well developed. One’s knowledge of English language may not be a very strong basis for him to enjoy studying Literature at advanced level because learners are subjected to shorter passages for reading comprehension at ordinary level. When they consider doing Literature in senior four, they find it hard to read the voluminous plays and novels. Someone who has been used to reading short passages cannot easily adjust himself to read a novel like Lord of the Flies which has very many pages. Life becomes hard for them and they begin regarding the subject as being complicated. To make matters worse, Literature teachers expose learners to the terminology of Literature when they are just starting to study the subject in senior four. Imagine someone who is just trying to come to terms with the big volumes of the texts to be taught aspects such as irony, metaphor, symbolism, allusion and oxymoron among others. The words sound strange and many students keep confusing them. Some of them try to adjust to the subject when they are about to do the national examinations in senior six. This means that they can hardly excel. There are those who get frustrated with the subject mid way into the course and they end up failing it. My argument is that the curriculum developers of this country should consider Literature as an examinable subject at ordinary level just like the way it is in other countries. That is when the teachers will be able to lay a firm foundation for the learners to study the subject with enthusiasm. Literature is supposed to be taught in stages whereby the students learn it progressively. For instance, in senior one, oral Literature should be taught in a way that learners narrate fables and folktales based on the African culture. They can also sing, recite poems, present drama skits and share information about proverbs that exist in Kinyarwanda and other languages. Towards the end of senior one, they should be introduced to the abridged series of novels such that they get a feel of what novels are. In senior two, they should be introduced to set books that are relatively small in volume and they should also study poetry. Then, in the national examinations for senior three, candidates should be tested on the set books and poetry. This approach will enable students to get adequate exposure to the subject and by the time they complete ordinary level, they will have sufficient knowledge and skills about it. When they join advanced level, many of them will have passion for the subject and they will also have the ability to do it and pass it with flying colours. If we are to produce young people with very good reading, speaking, writing and analytical skills, we ought to make Literature popular to them right from ordinary level. The writer is a teacher of English Language and Literature.