[English] Texts on VCCA list for only two years

[Caruso, Greta]

 Hi all,

The Reluctant Fundamentalist has been withdrawn from the text list after only 2 years. I am not sure how much the text selection panel had to do with the decision, or exactly who is responsible. It could even be an error. (I recall that Gattaca got an extra year on the list as a result of an error.) I checked the Examination Reports for 2010 and 2011 and The Reluctant Fundamentalist does not appear on the list of least popular texts. (For 2012, the least popular texts were  Great Short Works, Bypass, A Human Pattern, Dreams from My Father.)  So, the reason cannot be lack of uptake. In my living memory, only two texts have been removed from the list before their four year rotation. These are Into Thin Air and Voices and Visions: India. Both of these had extremely low popularity. The list includes the number of years a text has been on the list, so the expectation of a four year minimum is not out of order.

For teachers, the enormous amount of time and effort that goes into devising assignments, imagining engaging activities, collecting images, writing questions and researching the context is negated. We need to know that the work we put into our jobs is worth it.

 If you are concerned about this because you teach the text, or because it makes you worry about the longevity of the text you teach, I suggest you


write to VATE asking them to represent your interests in an official capacity,
write to VCAA individually requesting that The Reluctant Fundamentalist be included in an amended text list for 2013,
ask VCAA for a written explanation as to the reasons for removing a popular text after only two years,

ask VCAA for written clarification as to their policy on the text list,
ask for assurance that all texts other than the one with extremely low levels of uptake be included on the list for 4 years, and
ask your principal to raise the issue with VCAA.


The Reluctant Fundamentalist meets the requirements for text selection. That is why it was selected in the first place, and it is a popular text.

"Each text selected for the VCE English and English (ESL) text lists will:
* have literary merit and be worthy of close study
* be an excellent example of form and genre
* sustain intensive study, raising interesting issues and providing challenging ideas
* be appropriate for both male and female students
* be appropriate for the age and development of students and, in that context, reflect current community standards and expectations."

 We need to be assured that texts will stay on the list for the full four years.  The consequences of withdrawing a text after only two years are significant. Apart from the alarming disregard for teachers, there are consequences for other stakeholders.  For assessors, this means the learning of the text is wasted, and the accumulated wisdom is not accrued. For not-for-profit organisations such as VATE, The Wheeler Centre, the NGV the production of teachers' notes and preparation of revision lectures is a questionable use of time and resources. For publishers, speakers' agencies, theatre companies and tutoring businesses, the motivation to invest in text resources is low.

I am concerned about what can be read into this about how VCAA value the work of English teachers. We are already committed to changing the syllabus and happily develop new content on a cyclical basis. Few other VCE Studies are as dynamic as English. However, we need to know that the texts into which I have poured enormous effort and led my faculty through, will remain on the list for four years.

Yours,

Greta Caruso



 355 Station Street, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia 3128

 T: +61 3 9896 1703  M: 0434 280 108
E: caruso.g at kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au<mailto:caruso.g at kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au>
www.kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au<http://www.kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au>


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.edulists.com.au/pipermail/english/attachments/20120221/2f85aaed/attachment.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 92 bytes
Desc: image002.gif
Url : http://www.edulists.com.au/pipermail/english/attachments/20120221/2f85aaed/image002.gif