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The United Kingdom’s Department for Children, Schools and Families is starting an initiative to teach English primary schools students as young as five years old about the works of William Shakespeare. The initiative adheres to the philosophy that children should be introduced to Shakespeare at a young age.
Schools minister Jim Knight says, “Already all children have to study one complete Shakespeare play in secondary school. But I want to go further to ensure that Shakespeare can be enjoyed as much as possible and from a younger age.”
The department will start supplying schools with a support package that includes a DVD box-set of “Shakespeare: The Animated Tales” and a booklet called “Shakespeare For All Ages and Stages.” The booklet has suggestions on what the department calls, “A range of innovative and practical ideas to help bring Shakespeare alive in the classroom” for students between the ages of five and sixteen.
The booklet suggests teaching five-year-olds through the use of puppets and masks. Older students will progress to watching and reading abridged versions of Shakespeare’s plays. The initiative recommends that of all ages work with actors and art educators to experience the plays by performing them. Secondary school students will continue to study at least one play and teachers are encouraged to help the students see how Shakespeare’s themes are relevant to contemporary life and events. The government will also provide £1.5 million to allow 40,000 secondary school students between the ages of 11 and 14 to see a live, professional Shakespeare performance.
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Globe Education at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater collaborated with arts educators and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to write the teaching materials for “Shakespeare For All Ages and Stages.” The initiative is similar to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s recently launched manifesto, Stand Up for Shakespeare, which calls on schools to make teaching Shakespeare more interesting and rewarding.
Web Resources:
Download the “Shakespeare For all Ages and Stages” booklet
Times Online - Children as young as five to learn Shakespeare
