Commenting on the removal of ‘Of Mice and Men’ from the GCSE syllabus from September 25, Rocio Cifuentes MBE said:
‘I welcome this move from WJEC to no longer include Of Mice and Men in the curriculum from 2025. I’ve heard firsthand through research my office published last year about the negative impact of this text on black and minority ethnic learners, due to its use of racial slurs. Young people told me how uncomfortable and singled out they felt during these discussions. I’m also concerned about the normalising effect that this could have on racist language.
This is not about censorship, this is about ensuring that important discussions on racism in the past and in the present, don’t inadvertently cause further harm and trauma to our leaners, and there are many other texts available in the new syllabus which offer this opportunity.’