Abhorsen said:
They could at least rename it Literature...
I agree wholeheartedly. My issue with English being compulsory is *why* it is compulsory. My understanding is that it was made compulsory to ensure that every student who completes HSC has a thorough knowledge of the English Language and can speak and write fluently. It was made to count in the calculation of the UAI so that we don't end up with a society of doctors and lawyers from Non-English-Speaking countries that can't speak a word of English. This I think is a valid reason to make English compulsory.
HOWEVER
The English course as it stands has nothing to do with literacy. It is 100% about LITERATURE. The study of Shakespeare (whilst some of the comedies can be quite amusing) is NOT necessary for life in Australia. I have heard that in Victoria they ahve two courses and you can choose. They have a Literacy course, and a Literature course. It is then compulsory to choose one of these subjects.
But, the STUPIDEST thing about the system is that the people who can't speak English, instead of being given low marks for English, get given a seperate subject called ESL which lifts their marks. And what is worse is the fact I, who have spoken English from birth, am NOT allowed to do ESL! The horrible result of this is that people who can't speak English at a level anywhere near as high as myself are getting marks significantly higher than me, simply due to the fact I don't give a rats arse about the imaginative journey.
I think the perfect example of the tiny influence of literacy on your final mark is that in the SC I got a mark of 91 in English. In my HSC Trials I got 48%, a mark only slightly lower than my two year English average. So here I am, a student who is obviously adequately prepared to live in an English speaking country, being held back significantly in my teriary education opportunities because of a compulsory study of irrelevant literature.
I would NOT choose English in its current form if it was not compulsory. (If that wasn't already obvious!)