1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: So the draft year seven to thirteen English Curriculum. Okay, Matt, yesterday, 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:08,799 Speaker 1: and it proposes compulsory Shakespeare for senior secondary school students. 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: You're going to have to do one of the plays 4 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: you attend to thirteen. That provoked a bit of a 5 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: debate about the relevance of Shakespeare in this day and age. Now, 6 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: Shakespeare is obviously very very important, but is it essential 7 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: Because even when I was at secondary school, which is 8 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: a very long time ago, now forty five years ago, 9 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: Shakespeare was not popular amongst students. One year we were 10 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: studying Hamlet. So the school, a major school in Auckland, 11 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: oh Come Grammar School. The school organized an afternoon matinee 12 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: of the play and it happened at the Mercury Theater. 13 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 1: So we all got on buses and we turned up 14 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: to the Mercury Theater and we were so rowdy that 15 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: a young Michael Hurst, who was playing the Danish Prince, 16 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: commented that this is the worst audience I have ever 17 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: encountered in the theater. A whole theater full of boys 18 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: hating Hamlet. We didn't even calm down in the sword fights. However, 19 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 1: that did not happen when we study more modern texts 20 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,199 Speaker 1: like Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman or even Thomas 21 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: Becket's Murder in the Cathedral, Because I'll tell you why 22 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: those plays used language. We understood. Those plays had themes 23 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: we could relate to, as Shakespeare did not. To teach, 24 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: you must engage. And much in all as we bemoan 25 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: the fall of Shakespeare amongst the young, he's still so 26 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:26,199 Speaker 1: strong that his influence of the modern world will not fail. 27 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: So what will engage the kids? And I really don't know. 28 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: This generation is less engaged in all sorts of stuff 29 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,479 Speaker 1: than ever so much so I had to explain who 30 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: Bob Geldoff was to my twenty six year old son 31 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:40,759 Speaker 1: the other day. And speaking of rock and roll, I'll 32 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: tell you the most engagement I ever had at school 33 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: was when my Engish teacher said we should study the 34 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: lyrics of David Bowie's song Time from the Aladdinsane album. 35 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: And we loved it and we got into it in depth. 36 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: And let's remember, here's another thing. In twenty sixteen, Bob 37 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Would anyone mind 38 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: if he was added to the curricular I don't think so. 39 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: So what do you think. By the way, I also 40 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: see the new curriculum says that spelling and keyboard lessons 41 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,119 Speaker 1: for children at intermediate schools should be compulsory. You mean 42 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: that not already? How do I kid survive in this 43 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: modern world? For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, 44 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: listen live to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, 45 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.