‘Diverse literature in schools in Wales and the wider UK’
Dr Sarah Olive, Communication and Culture, Aston University
(cont…)
However, much existing work in the UK focuses on diversifying the literary curriculum in English and England, the dominant nation. Although such work is broadly applicable to other parts of the UK and beyond, it has struggled to gain traction within the education system in Wales, which operates bilingually in Welsh and English. I focus on Wales here because it is the devolved nation with which I have professional and personal experience. Focusing on Wales offers a fruitful reminder for this series on the varieties of the subject we call ‘English’: literature in British education is not studied only in subject English, or the medium of English, but also in drama, minoritised languages such as Welsh, and international languages, including French, German, Spanish and Mandarin.
In Wales, the devolved government’s legally binding Welsh Language Standards (2011) mean that the Welsh language must be treated no less favourably than English in public sectors (and in some private settings too). This seeks to redress discrimination against Welsh-speakers and the long history of the repression of the Welsh language, notably from the 1536 Act of Union – banning its use in various public arenas – to the internalised policing of its use by institutions and individuals in Wales. Welsh-speaking parents who wouldn’t teach their children the language for fear of disadvantaging them in education and work exist in living memory.
In education, treating Welsh ‘no less favourably than English’ involves provision for teaching and learning both languages: Welsh and English are compulsory for pupils up to the age of 16. How this provision is delivered varies, not least because there are Welsh-medium, English-medium, and bilingual schools. Having two official languages means creating educational resources in both languages, so they can be shared and used in classrooms, staffrooms, and through online platforms for education, such as the Welsh Government’s Hwb. The policy of bilingualism in Wales seeks to equally include Welsh- and English-speakers in wide-ranging aspects of the life of the nation.
However, it is important to acknowledge that the inclusion of Welsh- and English-speakers through official bilingualism in Wales is sometimes placed in tension with other aspects of inclusion. For example, it can be argued that a focus on Welsh and English bilingualism obscures, and deprioritises, other multilingualisms in the population. More pros and cons of bilingualism in Wales for inclusivity and identity have been articulated than this post can cover. Some them are explored in the excellent collection Welsh (Plural): Essays on the Future of Wales, which also offers multi-faceted critiques of the gate-keeping of Welsh identity on the basis of Welsh language ability.
