Teachers have steered the Shakespeare curriculum for younger pupils in England away from Othello and Henry IV Part I in favour of lighter texts. After a poll, plays set for 13 and 14-year-olds in England could include Romeo and Juliet and As You Like It. Othello did not make the list because more than half of those questioned said the themes of sexual jealousy and racism were not suitable for that age. Teachers say the exam system impedes the enjoyment of Shakespeare anyway.
A survey of attitudes to Shakespeare’s plays among teachers and other experts was commissioned by England’s curriculum and exams body the QCA. There is a rolling curriculum for Shakespeare, which for this year involves Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III and The Tempest. The QCA canvassed teachers and local authority advisers on what they thought about particular plays and their suitability for teaching to children in Key Stage 3. Children in state schools generally do not study Shakespeare until they are 13 or 14, in Year 9.
In the survey, people were asked to rate seven Shakespeare plays on their suitability for this age group. Top of the list came Romeo and Juliet, with 91% saying the play was suitable or very suitable. Many said the themes of young love and family made the play very accessible for pupils.Extract taken from;