I found the commentary on Nov 2, on the state of English literature in Singapore schools, to be revealing ("Importance of literature education for the future").

I agree with the writers Suzanne Choo and Angelia Poon that learning literature can help bring the best out of our schoolchildren by stretching and engaging them through the literary experience.

Unlike mathematics and the hard sciences, literature is one subject where students can display their creativity, imagination and originality.

However, weaker students will find a play, a couple of novels and a poetry anthology to be an excessive load, and Shakespeare to be of no modern relevance.

It is not an easy subject, so average, neighbourhood schools tend to shun the subject, for fear their exam results will be affected.

Perhaps the National Institute of Education could conduct a study to find out more about the falling popularity of English literature in schools.

Osman V. P. Mohamed