harry potter or shakespeare?

[Bex]

just saw this on the news http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...366230,00.html

should kids no longer be taught shakespeare and the classic and instead be taught something more contemporary?

and would this cause a "dumbing down" of kids?

[MadGamer]

In my view, although kids have been taught about the "clasics" by Shakespere, i think they need to be taught about something more upto date such as Harry Potter, as the main reason is the language in Shakespere is harder for kids to learn and understand.

unfortunately, as 'education' becomes more of a competition for rankings in league tables there will be an increased tendency to 'dumb down' the curriculum.

Shakespeare isn't the only part of our literary heritage, but needs putting in context with the rest of it, including Harry Potter - only teaching 'cool' stuff to kids is not a rounded education, in my opinion.

Harry Potter any day. I totally did not enjoy Shakepeare's 'works' when I was at school and still can not understand how people do, but each to their own I suppose. In a practical sense though, should studying classical literature be made obligatory? I personally don't think so, I certainly didn't gain anything from studying it apart from frustration. How is classical literature relevant to a modern society? Prince Charles says that education for employment purposes is a bad thing, whereas I think that making traditional useless studies like this compulsory is a much worse decision. It was a complete waste of time to me. It should be available to study but just as an option.

[allieyoung666]

I love harry potter, it is the sort of book both kids and adults can relate to, shakesphere I dunno I never have been able to get round my head round that, we did not even touch it when we were at school, I would have liked to, I only tried to read it when I was at uni. I do not think it matters, I think that all that is important is that the child can read and enjoy what they read

[makikomi]

Shakespeare wrote some great plays. Instead of studying Harry Potter, which really is rather ordinary (to be perfectly honest, I think the Harry Potter books and films are crap) perhaps Shakespeare should be taught in more modern English.

As a kid, I thought all this "Thou art" and "Wherefore" stuff was stupidly old fashioned, and the stories seemed horribly old fashioned. It seemed that you spent more time trying to understand the language than getting to grip with what was happening. But as an adult, I can now see that once you get past the old language, Shakespeare's plays wouldn't be out of place in a modern film.

Originally Posted by Diamond

Harry Potter any day. I totally did not enjoy Shakepeare's 'works' when I was at school and still can not understand how people do, but each to their own I suppose. In a practical sense though, should studying classical literature be made obligatory? I personally don't think so, I certainly didn't gain anything from studying it apart from frustration. How is classical literature relevant to a modern society? Prince Charles says that education for employment purposes is a bad thing, whereas I think that making traditional useless studies like this compulsory is a much worse decision. It was a complete waste of time to me. It should be available to study but just as an option.

as I said above, classical literature puts modern literature in context and is interesting in itself for getting an insight into life at the time.

How is 'modern' culture different when it comes down to how people feel & interact on a personal & emotional level? - the only difference is the context, and if your teachers failed to inspire anything other than 'frustration' , then either you weren't as receptive as you might have been, or they didn't do their job very well.

As Wayne said, the language can be a barrier, but again I would say that is down to the teacher to guide & explain - and can be fascinating in itself - Shakespeare, for example was a master of innuendo, properly explained his works contain many 'naughty' bits, that just reading would not necessarily have noticed. (even in the 'bowdlerised' version).

Shakespeare is wonderful.I first read his work when I was 14 and thought it was marvelous.How can anyone say Macbeth is boring.It's a fantastic tale of vanity,corruption,madness and betrayal with a wonderful come uppance at the end.Romeo and Juliet HAS to be the most romantic love story of them all and where would West Side Story come from without Shakespeare having written the original.

Shakespeare's stories are still contemporary today.All we need do is apply modern language and idiom and they come to life.His characters are wonderful and larger than life.

Indeed IF Shakespeare was a contemporary he'd be in the West End or out in Hollywood hopefully turning out better stuff than we get at present.

[Graham]

Personally I'd recommend Pratchett instead of Potter, but I do know that my appreciation of Shakespeare was definitely spoiled by having it shoved down my throat at a time when it was just tedious and uninteresting and it took a long time before I felt like going back and looking at it again and appreciating the subtleties of it.

Anyway, everyone knows that Hamlet is just a bunch of famous saying all strung together

[Halcyon]

I think it is important to obviosuly go for what kids are interested in, but also educate them into other things they dont know such as these texts from the past.
You learn the different ways of writing, how language is used, and it opens up your mind to differnces within the English Language.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Graham

Personally I'd recommend Pratchett

Following up to myself:

Additionally, this allows you to sneak Shakespeare in by the "back door" since once they've read eg Wyrd Sisters it gives new light on a certain Scottish Play

Originally Posted by homealone

How is 'modern' culture different when it comes down to how people feel & interact on a personal & emotional level? - the only difference is the context, and if your teachers failed to inspire anything other than 'frustration' , then either you weren't as receptive as you might have been, or they didn't do their job very well.

I thought this was a subject orientated at language not sociology/psychology?

So basically what you're saying is that if people aren't interested in it then they haven't understood it properly? That everyone who understands it will always enjoy it?

[punky]

Harry Potter isn't written as intellectually as Shakespere naturally. It does, however, grip the kids better. The kids will be more attentive, more responsive. Therefore it is easier to teach them with HP than WS.

As long as the kids learn the same lesson, then the reference material is err, immaterial. I do think though, HP will lack real world examples of what the teacher is trying to get across to the pupils though. If the examples are there, then good.

Shakespeare is obviously better, but i think the case of better and the actual poll is slightly weird. Harry Potter is more popular but once the fad dies down it will not have the same effect Shakespeare has had.

What we are actually talking about is what will shown in the answer. If we are talking about what should we give kids then i would say harry potter. Why? Because at this stage we need to have children reading and enjoying it. Many kids first contact with actual books (you know, no pictures) will be at school. At this time you want to draw them into reading, not turn them away from it. Shakespeare is very good but it is difficult to learn as you have the language but then you have a lot of analysis and children get turned of with this. I know i did.

Harry potter is popular and a fun, easy read. It is exciting and make you want to read the next page until late at night. It really does draw people into reading. Give them that at first and let them get into it! By year 9 get some interesting but slightly more advanced books. At by year 11 introduce them to Shakespeare. That way they like and enjoy reading and not only will keep reading after school but will learn Shakespeare far more effectively.

[dilli-theclaw]

I didn't read any shakespeare at school and the only two books that I can actually remember are.....

Goodnight Mr Tom and Z for Zachariah. (I must have liked them as I went and bought both).

If I was going through school now I guess I'd like to read more up to date titles.

I can't comment on shakespear tho - I've read some since, but probably wouldn't have enjoyed it at a younger age.

Edit - As long as kids get into reading I'm all for either
p.s. Space Cadet (heinlein - well I was young) got me into reading.