Literature in the School Curriculum: Symbiotic Agents in Building a Virile Nation (Published)
The paper considered the curriculum as a body of knowledge whose component is literature. It considered the symbiotic relationship between the two – curriculum and literature. Literature, a creative work of art, possesses the capacity to revolutionize a nation economically, politically and socially. It considered the intellectual value of literature as a field of study, the quality and contributory values of the different genres of literature, such as prose, drama, and poetry and shows that literature is not only represented in novels, drama and poetry, but consists of other writings or renditions that present documentary of the people’s past and show their culture. The paper went further to show the various advantages derivable from literature, such as having deep and better understanding of the society, benefit from the insight of others, opening the learners’ minds to ambiguities of life, among others. Finally, suggestions were given on how to sustain every achievement made in literature.
Keywords: Literature, nation, school curriculum, symbiotic agents, virile