Student celebrate as KCSE were released by the Education Cabinet secretary.[FILE/Standard]
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In last week’s installment, I argued that our teaching of literature at all levels of education is wanting. While we test students’ ability to identify themes, stylistic devices, and authorial inventions, we hardly help them create literature. Since then, I have received an avalanche of comments and a fair share of abuses. My Facebook profile shows that over 150,000 people engaged with that article. The conversation it sparked tells me that literature still stirs the nation’s soul.
Today, I wish to advance the argument further by examining how we test and assess literature. I do this by imagining the questions that should be asked but never are. Our candidates will soon face the following set texts: Fathers of Nations, The Samaritan, The Artist of the Floating World, and Parliament of Owls. They will answer the same predictable questions: identify themes, explain irony, describe character traits, and comment on authorial intention.
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