I’m not normally a very jealous person. I’m quite happy to shrug off the fact that so-and-so has the fanciest smart phone whadya-ma-call-it with the mantra that I’m probably in possession of something they’d like to have (for instance, my ability to slide across floors in socks).
Until now, that is.
While taking a casual stroll through the tinterweb, I came across a news story that made me feel both overjoyed and unbelievably jealous: Exam board AQA are introducing Creative Writing A Level.
Put simply, the single most enjoyable thing I found about A Levels was the Creative Writing part of my English Language A Level.
The second my teacher even uttered the word ‘creative’ I was rolling around on the floor in a dizzy euphoria like a pig in mud.
Well okay, not literally – Mrs Chubb would have not allowed pig-like rolling in her classroom – but I’d be grinning like I’d slept with a coat hanger in my mouth, that’s for sure.
I’m aware that not everyone will feel as delighted as I do about this announcement. I know there’ll be some backlash about how the focus should be more on scientific and mathematical subjects, but I stand strong by the idea the introduction of this A Level is a brilliant idea. I’ve recently been working in a secondary school helping students with their English, particularly their writing skills. It’s been so rewarding seeing children’s imaginations ignite and I can honestly say a few times I have read a line of an eleven year old’s story or poem and thought ‘I couldn’t have written that’.
And I love it! I love that Creative Writing doesn’t always have an ‘age=quality’ rule. And I love that these kids will have the option to keep their interest in writing alive in further education.
Creative Writing will inspire the young writers that presently are more likely to describe it as a hobby more than an integral part of their quest for qualifications. It’s going to help them fine tune their skills, give them a taste for forcing your imagination into life when you have a deadline and will help them unveil so much more of their potential. After all, these are the people who are some day going to be writing creatively-genius shows like Miranda, Utopia or whatever wacky idea is thought of next. It’s these people who are going to be entertaining generations to come with new books and films, and if that’s not something to get excited about then I guess I’m just going to be rolling around in this mud on my own.
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