Today marks the final day that American authors can be examined for GCSE English Literature. It is one of the most despicable legacies of Michael Gove’s tenure as Education Secretary to have effectively banned the study and examination of all American prose authors at GCSE from September 2015, today’s AQA GCSE English Literature examination [I don’t know if there are any from other Awarding Body exams yet to take place] being the last time students will respond at this level and thus my final time of marking these generally engaged and knowing responses.

My arguments about and against this as well as Gove’s and other philistines’ responses, including those from the notorious DfE drafters, are contained in the body of this blog.

It is difficult to imagine any change of government in the future having the will at that time to reinstate these authors: Labour, for example, not having had any obvious concern at the demise in the first place.