Michael Morpurgo, former children’s laureate and author of best-selling novel War Horse, warns of a class split between the ‘haves and ‘have-not’ children.
Mr Morpurgo blamed the reduction of reading to testable units, leading to a climate of ‘fear and anxiety’ and ‘worthlessness’ surrounding literature education.
Mr Morpurgo, president of BookTrust, is due to make the comments at the children’s reading charity’s inaugural ‘BookTrust Lecture’ tonight (Wednesday).
The remarks come shortly after he criticised Theresa May's grammar school plans as 'divisive' and 'quite deeply stupid', and he highlighted the lasting impact that failing his 11-plus exam had on him.
Successive governments are partly responsible because they ‘corral schools and pressure teachers into teaching literacy fearfully’ and ‘insist that measurable outcomes and results are the be all and end all of the education process’, he will say.
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