Conclusion 36

The Department should take steps to revise the GCSE English Literature curriculum, including improving the diversity of texts that pupils study. It should expand the definition of literature from the British Isles to a broader definition of literature in English and extend the requirement for a 19th century novel to a longer period. It should also work with exam 93 boards to explore ways in which they can give schools more flexibility to choose from a broader range of texts and to allow teachers to choose texts which strongly resonate with the pupils in their local area. (Recommendation, Paragraph 144)