Wondering Why

Somehow the power to be in the government has decided to water down the quality of the literature component in the PMR Assessment beginning 2010. Gone from the list are the better books such as 'Dalat,The Pencil, Bunga Telor and Bally Shoes,The Phantom of the Opera and Dr Jekyl and Mr. Hyde' and such poems as 'Isle of Innisfree,The Dead Crow and Life's Brief Shadow'. These were better books and poems. The ones that are its replacements sounds more like nursery rhymes and primary school readers. Anyway, the poems are good nursery rhymes.

As for the 2 short stories and the drama, I think they could have been better chosen. 'Rumpelstiltskin' is certainly one bad selection and so is the truncated and convulated, "Flipping Fantastic". The other story,"One is One and All Alone' is somewhat acceptable though they could also have chosen a better short story that will motivate young readers in the lower secondary classes.

So, the question on most of the parents' lips are," Why?". How did the people who are in the know select such books? What are the criteria that have been used in the selection process? These books are such low quality text that are neither motivating nor challenging? Why are the administrators doing English a great disservice? Haven't they done enough harm?

So, can someone from the Curriculum Development Division or the Textbook Department of the Ministry of Education enlightened all the concerned parents?