Bernardine Evaristo renews call to diversify school curriculum in England

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Sally Weale Education correspondentJanuary 27, 2026 at 01:01 AM

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Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo is urging England to accelerate the diversification of its school curriculum. A report by Lit in Colour reveals that while the proportion of GCSE English literature set texts by authors of colour has increased, student uptake remains slow. Currently, only 1.9% of GCSE pupils study books by authors of colour, and projections estimate it will take decades to reach proportional representation. Evaristo emphasizes the importance of diverse texts amidst concerns that progress on inclusion is stalling. The campaign group cites teacher familiarity with existing texts, lack of resources, and insufficient training as barriers to wider adoption of diverse literature.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

An Inspector Calls 30% UK 40% JB Priestley 40% United States 40% George Floyd 50% Black Lives Matter 50% Department for Education (DfE) 50% GCSE ×460% Lit in Colour ×270% England ×380% Bernardine Evaristo ×390%

Keywords

school curriculum 100% diversity 90% authors of colour 80% english literature 70% gcse 60% inclusion 60% minority ethnic background 50% lit in colour 50% education sector 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

England

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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school curriculum diversity authors of colour english literature gcse inclusion minority ethnic background lit in colour education sector

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