The Guardian view on humanities in universities: closing English Literature courses signals a crisis
With degrees disappearing and reading rates plummeting, the arts face a critical moment in education and culture
The announcement that Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent is to stop offering English literature degrees has set several hares running, most of them in the wrong direction. The university said in effect that hardly anyone wanted to study English literature at degree level any more and the course was therefore no longer viable. If you can’t do EngLit in the city of Chaucer and Marlowe, where can you do it?
Canterbury’s tale is a familiar one. EngLit is in wholesale retreat at A level, with numbers down from 83,000 in 2013 to 54,000 in 2023, and there has been a decline at university, too, over the past decade, though statistics are disputed because the subject gets studied at degree level in many guises, including creative writing and linguistics. Overall, humanities subjects seem to be losing their appeal, with only 38% of students taking a course in 2021/22, down from nearly 60% between 2003/4 and 2015/16.
Continue reading...-
The Guardian view on South Korea’s martial law debacle: a democratic beacon needs new leadership | Editorial
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s alarming attempt to impose his will could hardly be worse-timed for a key Asian power . The South Korean president’s bizarre, appalling and short-lived attempt to impose ...The Guardian - 6h -
The Guardian view on Trump’s threat to the media: time to pass the Press Act
Bipartisan legislation offers historic protections for journalists, banning secret surveillance and ensuring source confidentiality. Fears of a press crackdown under Donald Trump’s second term ...The Guardian - 1d -
The Guardian view on Romania’s annulled election: a wake-up call for democracies | Editorial
The social media-driven success of a pro-Putin candidate confirmed the extent to which Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics are now a threat. Famously, 2024 has been the biggest election year in ...The Guardian - 2d -
The Guardian view on France’s political crisis: belatedly, Macron must look left | Editorial
The president’s gamble on far-right support failed. The route to stability lies in the opposite direction. Haughty defiance has become Emmanuel Macron’s go-to tone during a second term marred by ...The Guardian - 3d -
The Guardian view on Chelsea’s WSL dominance: team brilliance tests league competitiveness
Five-time champions continue breaking records, widening the gap in women’s football as financial disparities challenge league competitiveness. When Chelsea’s women’s football team take to the pitch ...The Guardian - 6d -
Lee Child and Malorie Blackman urge English literature syllabus reform
More than 180 authors and publishers warn that writers of colours are under-represented in school curriculumFinancial Times - 6d -
Scientists close to solving mystery of how universe's giant galaxies formed
‘Cosmic collisions’ 12bn years ago could be key to understanding formation, say researchers. Galaxies crashing together 12bn years ago could have caused the universe’s biggest galaxies to form, ...The Guardian - Dec. 5 -
The Guardian view on protests in Georgia: resisting a drift into Putin’s orbit | Editorial
The Georgian Dream government’s suspension of EU talks has sparked an existential struggle for democracy. In recent years, Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has brazenly pursued a policy ...The Guardian - Dec. 3 -
Universities enrolling foreign students with poor English, BBC finds
Institutions may be overlooking inadequate language skills to receive high fees from overseas students.BBC News - Dec. 3
More from The Guardian
-
No pardons for prison torturers, says Syrian rebel leader
The Guardian - 5h -
FBI director Christopher Wray will resign before Trump takes office
The Guardian - 2h -
Trawl the sea or mine for metals? Pacific nations wrestle with how to protect oceans - and livelihoods
The Guardian - 12h -
Hannah Kobayashi found safe after disappearance prompted massive search
The Guardian - 2h -
Brazil president Lula to undergo second operation after emergency brain surgery
The Guardian - 2h