Prime Highlights:
- Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo emphasizes the need for greater inclusion in England’s school curriculum, warning that progress on diversity is moving too slowly.
- The Department for Education confirms that teachers will have more flexibility to include a wider range of texts, supporting inclusive teaching practices.
Key Facts:
- Only 1.9% of GCSE students currently study books by authors of colour, up from 0.7% five years ago, according to a report by Lit in Colour.
- Since the campaign began, the proportion of set texts by authors of colour has risen from 12% to 36%, showing gradual progress in diversifying school literature.
Background:
Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo has called for stronger efforts to make England’s school curriculum more diverse, warning that progress on inclusion is too slow and that young people could face limited opportunities in an increasingly unequal society.
Although there has been some improvement in the range of texts offered in GCSE English literature, uptake remains low. A report by campaign group Lit in Colour found that only 1.9% of students currently study works by authors of colour, a modest rise from 0.7% five years ago. At this rate, it may take until 2046 for 10% of pupils to engage with texts by authors of colour and until 2115 for representation to match the 38% of students from minority ethnic backgrounds in English schools.
Since the campaign’s launch five years ago, Lit in Colour, led by Penguin Random House and the Runnymede Trust has increased the proportion of set texts by authors of colour from 12% to 36%. However, many teachers continue to use familiar works such as J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, citing limited resources and time for training on newer materials.
In the foreword to the campaign’s five-year progress report, Evaristo acknowledged the gains but stressed the need for ongoing action. “By 2025, it feels as though some doors are closing again,” she said. “The concept of diversity has become contentious in certain areas, which makes campaigns like Lit in Colour even more important.”
The Department for Education said the ongoing curriculum review will allow teachers to include a wider variety of texts alongside traditional literature, creating more opportunities for inclusive teaching.
In related news, bestselling author Lee Child has been appointed as the first prison reading laureate for England and Wales. He plans to expand a literacy pilot programme to improve prisoners’ reading skills, which evidence shows can reduce reoffending. “This isn’t about being soft on crime, it’s about being smart,” Child said.
The role is part of the National Year of Reading, a UK-wide initiative aimed at promoting literacy among children and adults, underscoring the crucial role of reading in both education and social development.
