Die vormende waarde van voorgeskrewe prosa en drama (Afrikaans eerste taal)

M.Ed. (Subject Didactics)There is growing concern that high school pupils and especially those pupils in the senior secondary phase, are no longer interested in reading ., Afrikaans books. The result is that the pupils' knowledge and understanding of literature is fast diminishing. A further consequence is that the formative possibilities that literature holds for the pupil are also lost. It can therefore be accepted that literature and the teaching of literature has a substance which contributes to the forming of young people on their way to adulthcod, A paradoxical situation prevails in that the high school pupil and specifically pupils in the senior secondary phase do not realise what formative value literature holds for him. The fact is that prescribed prose and drama hold little significance for the majority of pupils in this phase of their achonl, careers, as it is nei ther relevent nor actual. It is therefore necessary that serious attention be given to the goals we wish to achieve in the teaching of Afrikaans First Language literature. The goals we wish to achieve in the teaching of Afrikaans First Language literature (senior secondary phase) as evaluated in a curriculum rational and compared to the syllabus, results in a discrepancy between the goals (ideals), the syllabus content and the teaching (practical). The reason for this can possibly be attributed to the following factors: the syllabus content does not accommodate sufficiently the formative value of literature the criteria for prescribing prose and drama are too limited too much emphasis is placed on examination the teaching of literature is possibly too closely tied to the text * addressing of modern life situations via literature is not given sufficient recognition. From a didactical-pedagocical approach the nature of the discrepancy between goals, syllabus content and teaching have been analysed. The criteria for prescribing prose and drama have been examined and curriculum rational has been brought into line. A situation analysis as a component of curriculum rational is discussed and attention has been paid to the present situation in respect of Afrikaans First Language..