1 Apr 2025

Much ado about teaching

From Nights, 10:17 pm on 1 April 2025

The new draft English curriculum for New Zealand schools has been released this week after nearly a year of work behind the scenes.

Under the new model, Year 12 and 13 English students will have to be taught one of Shakespeare's texts. 

It's one of a number of compulsory requirements proposed, including mandating the teaching of New Zealand works at every level of English.

Is this a good thing? Or are we placing Shakespeare on a pedestal?

Hannah August is a Shakespeare expert, a senior lecturer in English at Massey University with a PhD from the London Shakespeare Centre at King's College London.

She joins Emile Donovan.

Shakespeare portrait by Cobbe

Shakespeare portrait by Cobbe Photo: Public Domain