A century ago, the prestigious University of Leicester in England has just announced a major overhaul of its programs. By abandoning any form of teaching of literature prior to 1500, to stick to what “students expect”, according to the Telegraph.
Exit, the masterpieces of medieval literature, such as The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. Twenty-four stories in eight hundred pages steeped in biting naivety à la Montesquieu, told by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury Cathedral in Kent. This corpus, as historically and culturally significant as Roland’s Song or The Roman of the Rose among us (although later, 1387-1400), is also considered by linguists as fundamental, since it is the first text written in the English language.
Shakespeare, will he resist?
In the cupboard of the literature department, the knights and the Vikings. Either the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, Sire Gauvain and the Green Knight and the study of Icelandic sagas. The texts of John Milton would also be threatened, and one doubts in the long term in this context of the resistance of Shakespeare within the university where the genetic fingerprint was discovered.
A circle of vanished classics that the University of Leicester justifies by the need to reform. Plummeting in the ranking of UK universities – it would have dropped from the 20e to 77e instead, the number of its students would fall by 4% per year according to the Daily Mail -, the university is encountering great financial difficulties and has to lay off its staff.
Through this purge of literature programs, the establishment wishes to remain competitive on a “world-level”, according to the President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, still quoted by the Telegraph. A strategy which announces in return the creation of “extremely innovative” modules on “race, ethnicity, sexuality, and diversity”, ie “a decolonized program”. Culture woke will it save Leicester University from bankruptcy? Or universalism?
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
