Canons Ancient and Modern: The texts we teach

This article considers the lists of authors prescribed in the National Curriculum for English against the background of the canon wars in higher education between those who support a unitary canon and their challengers advocating pluralism. The issues of textual choice, literary quality, prescription and recommendation are discussed in the light of a summary of the canon debate presented in the form of nine propositions. The final part of the article is a critique of the main developments in the National Curriculum canon during the 1990s showing how the language and culture of the official documents have sought to establish a heritage model. The article is equally critical of both centralised prescription and a laissez faire free - for - all; it concludes with some principles to guide future policy changes on the canon issue.