English Literature Courses Removed by late 2022

 We must not allow the Tories to kill our culture and turn our country into a cultural wasteland. As the great historian, Arnold Toynbee said, “Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder.” The greatest danger to our civilisation is internal decay. We must fight for the arts, English, education, and democracy. We must fight for a better future for all of us.

By cutting out the arts from universities, the government is actively discouraging people from pursuing careers in the arts. This is not just elitist; it’s short-sighted and ignorant. The skills are a vital part of our society and economy, and they should be supported, not sidelined.

 

According to Dominic Raab, the Minister for Paddleboarding, While Kabul Burns, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner is not allowed to enjoy opera because she should be in her “slum” eating “fried offal”.

This contempt for the arts and those who enjoy them are symptomatic of the Conservatives’ ignorance of culture and disregard for ordinary people’s access to it. If they are allowed to continue cutting arts funding and education, we face a second dark age where only the wealthy will be able to enjoy and appreciate culture. We must fight back against this elitist attitude and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience the arts.

Starting from Sheffield Hallam University, the suspension of its English literature degree may be just the start of many more. The university minister, Michelle Donelan, wants courses with “fewer than 60% of graduates in professional employment or further study within 15 months of graduating” to be cut. This misunderstands the point of studying the arts entirely. The skills are vital to our society and economy, and any course with as many as 60% of students in “professional” employment only 15 months after graduating has failed spectacularly.

 

This contempt for the arts and those who enjoy them are symptomatic of the Conservatives’ ignorance of culture and disregard for ordinary people’s access to it. If they are allowed to continue cutting arts funding and education, we face a second dark age where only the wealthy will be able to enjoy and appreciate culture. We must fight back against this elitist attitude and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience the arts.

 

Boris Johnson’s spokesperson later said that “everybody should be able to enjoy arts and culture”, but it is clear that the Tories do not believe this. They have repeatedly shown that they think the arts are only for the wealthy elite. We must not allow them to get away with it. We must fight for our culture, our country, and our future.

 

The Tories have repeatedly shown that they believe the arts are only for the wealthy elite. They have cut arts funding and education, making it difficult for ordinary people to access or enjoy the culture. We must fight back against this elitist attitude and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience the arts. Only by doing so can we hope to create a better future for all of us.

To keep updated with international news on education, Follow us on IPGCE