The headteacher of what has been called the strictest school in Britain has expressed concern that William Shakespeare may no longer be taught in English classrooms. She says that pressure to diversify and decolonise the curriculum could cause cultural icons like Shakespeare to disappear, in much the same way that he has already been removed from many curricula in the US.
Katharine Birbalsingh, who runs the Michaela community school in North London, stated in an interview with The Guardian that despite the current movement towards greater inclusion of black and minority ethnic writers in A-level and GCSE reading lists, it is essential to keep “dead white men” on the syllabus.
She believes that the works of Shakespeare have something of great value to offer; they have been influencing literature for over four centuries, and the ideas contained therein are universal. Birbalsingh is worried about the trend in America that could eventually influence what is happening in the UK, whereby cultural icons like Shakespeare may be removed from the syllabus.
While it is still mandatory for pupils in England to study Shakespeare for now, there is a concern that this could change. To Birbalsingh, it is crucial to keep these authors on the curriculum, while also broadening the reading lists to include works by black and female authors, as well as others.
She disagrees with the idea that people should only be able to identify or appreciate authors who share their skin colour or gender. As an example, Birbalsingh said that pupils taking A-level English at her school already study Andrea Levy’s novel Small Island alongside Shakespeare, demonstrating that it is possible to include a diverse range of voices without completely removing authors like Shakespeare from the syllabus.
She was recently appointed as the new Social Mobility Commissioner of the government and is known for her criticism of "woke culture". Her Twitter exchanges frequently touch on topics such as racism, white privilege, Ofsted, and original sin. However, she was criticized last month for suggesting that girls avoid physics A-level because of their aversion to "hard math," which she claims was taken out of context.
According to her, people often misquote her and spread nonsensical information. She has discussed the cultural reasons that might deter girls from pursuing STEM subjects for 20 minutes. Furthermore, she believes that it is inappropriate to fulfill quotas. Mentoring and providing adequate support to girls so that they can choose a career of their choice is more beneficial than enforcing such quotas.
Recently, Birbalsingh faced criticism over the misattribution of a quotation painted on the school’s internal wall to Winston Churchill. Although she understands why people picked up on the error, she believes that demanding a public apology is absurd and an unnecessary action.
She acknowledges the existence of white privilege, but her opinion is that there are many other forms of privilege, such as "pretty privilege," "tall privilege," and "good family privilege." Constantly discussing racism and white privilege in schools can be harmful to black children and is disadvantageous to everyone.
Birbalsingh agreed to participate in the documentary to show millions of people what is happening at Michaela and to allow parents and educators to learn from her experiences. She is not seeking fame but feels obliged to speak out because many people cannot do so without losing their jobs or friends.
Losing her friends after giving a speech at the Conservative Party Conference has already occurred; therefore, she believes that it is her duty to speak out about the mistakes she perceives society is making and to provide constructive solutions.
Author
