Toekomst voor de Middeleeuwen

Middelnederlandse literatuur in het voortgezet onderwijs

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Summary
Future for the Middle Ages Medieval Dutch literature in modern secondary school

1. Introduction

The tuition in literature in Dutch secondary school is shaking on its foundations. Though the new educational programme called the ‘Tweede Fase van het voortgezet onderwijs’ (second phase of the secondary school) is being implemented right now, many people lack a clear view on how the literature tuition has to be structured. Under influence of recent educational and education-political developments, the habit to introduce students to literature from the past is questioned. Furthermore, there are indications that with time a huge gap has been generated between the school subject and the scientific subject on literature. Is the Dutch historical literature important enough to take it with us into the twenty-first century? And, if so, how? By means of studying the Medieval Dutch literature tuition in secondary school, in the past and in the present, this book presents recommendations for the future of this school subject.

2. Past

The first part of this book provides an overview of the tuition in historical literature, as it was practised until the implementation of the socalled ‘Mammoth-law’ from 1968. The tuition in Dutch literature arose in the twenties of the nineteenth century. Since then textbooks about the Dutch literary history became available, presented from the Middle Ages till contemporary times, adapted for students in secondary school. But in the early years the Middle Ages were absent in the anthologies and text editions for secondary school. They started without exception with (early) Renaissance prose and poetry. In the first educational law from 1863 this development was laid down: ‘The exam in literature contains the main parts of the history of Dutch literature and the knowledge of some of its main products, in particular from the 17th, 18th and 19th century’. This seems to be especially the result of the main classical preference, which was taught by the ‘Latijnse (Latin) school’. The first anthologies and textbooks with Dutch Medieval text(fragment)s were published about the 1890's. In the educational magazines of those years, the status of Medieval literature in secondary school was discussed. This resulted in the withdrawal of the periodical limit in the law in 1920.

In contrast with today, the starting level for lessons in Medieval Dutch literature was rather high. Until the Mammoth-law, education in

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the Netherlands was for the upper class. The religious and political split-up made it relatively easy to judge the cultural knowledge of the students. Actually their age was considered to be the main obstacle in teaching literature, which was particularly written for adults. This urged many teachers to use censored text editions.

In the literature tuition in the past, five long-term educational objectives were functioning: 1) the stimulation of the command of the language of the student by showing him good examples, 2) the transfer of cultural knowledge, 3) the development of literary taste, 4) the stimulation of ethical and esthetical cultivation, and 5) the teaching of historical awareness. There were no governmental demands for the tuition of Medieval Dutch literature: the teacher was free to teach it according to his own thoughts and convictions. The only limitation was the time available for Dutch language and literature.

According to some sources, teachers approached the Medieval Dutch literature either historically or aesthetically. However, their frequent fulmination against an educational practice in which names and facts are playing the main role, is an indication that in reality many teachers practised a fact-based method.

Though the literary canon, which functions in the present tuition, originates from the pre-Mammoth period, there is remarkable little evidence that those texts were actually used in the classroom. On basis of the release history and incidental testimonies it appears that the school-canon contained the following texts: Van den vos Reynaerde, Karel ende Elegast, Beatrijs, Floris ende Blancefloer, Elckerlijc, Mariken van Nieumeghen, the ‘abele spelen’ and a couple of Medieval songs. Other texts, such as Borchgravinne van Vergi were - because of ethical reasons? - not included.

Many teachers had an ambivalent attitude towards the massive amount of textbooks, which have been published during the years. Officially they declared that these textbooks with literary history- if needed at all - had to play a supporting role in the classroom. But on basis of the amount of re-releases and the frequent complaints about the fact-based tuition, one can conclude that many teachers used those textbooks as the main part of their literary tuition. Because almost all the textbook writers are teachers themselves, the large amount of textbooks resembles the variety in the tuition of Medieval Dutch literature.

On basis of a small inquiry it appeared that the new scientific developments entered in the classrooms without much delay, mainly by way of the textbooks and the teacher schools. Because the scientific opinion changes regularly, it occurred that a new release of a textbook had to be changed in order to keep the text scientifically up to date.

The current opinion on the former literary tuition is that it focused on

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knowledge instead of on the student. This position needs adjustment: since the introduction of Medieval Dutch literature in the classroom, respelling or translation of the historical texts is certainly not a taboo. The frequent use of anthologies and censored text editions - though maybe petty minded in our opinion - proves that the interest of the student prevailed over the integrity of the literary text. Part of the discussion in the educational magazines was concentrated on a problem that would become especially important in the years after the Mammoth-law; how to bridge the gap between the historical literary text and the student?

3. Present

The second part of the book deals with the period from 1968, the Mammoth-law, until 1999, the ‘Tweede Fase’. In comparison with the past, many contemporary students lack sufficient knowledge of religion and culture; knowledge of biblical and Christian history is diminishing due to secularisation. Most of the Medieval Dutch texts are based on the Christian and classical heritage, but an increasing amount of young people is not familiar with these traditions. As a consequence they will have problems with reading and interpreting those texts. Furthermore, at the age of about 16 students are in a development-psychological phase in which they are primarily focusing on their own way of living. Surprisingly, the student inquiry showed that two-thirds of the students still fancy studying a Medieval Dutch text. Though the students who dislike this may be the majority in some classes, there is enough good soil for sowing the historical literature, though fertilisation with extra biblical and/or historical knowledge could be helpful.

The main objective of the teacher is transfer of cultural knowledge. This is in accordance with the texts they use, which are all part of the school canon, as it was developed in the past. Most of the teachers state that they approach the Medieval Dutch literature in a (cultural-) historic way.

In recent years the amount of published text editions for use in school was very limited. The problem can be put in this way: On the one hand, all teachers are in search for text editions. Some are looking for used copies, because they are not re-released, others hunt in vain for (yet) non-existing editions which will be adapted to the needs of modern didactics.

On the other hand, there are plenty of textbooks with literary history. In 1992 eighteen different books were available. Only a couple of them are bought and used on large scale. In three textbooks, from the authors Lodewick, Calis and Dautzenberg, Medieval Dutch literature comprises about 10 % of the content, while the period from the Middle Ages until

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1880 takes about 50 %. All three books offer mainly traditional texts.

However, this does not prove that tuition in Medieval Dutch literature is a threatened school subject. The deficiency of relevant knowledge is compensated by their potential interest in Medieval Dutch texts. Although teachers acknowledge the tension between the world in which their students live and the world of the historical texts, a small majority of them consider their tuition in Medieval Dutch literature to be adequate. The conclusion can be drawn that it is primarily important that new text editions will be published, based on the recent scientific results and in didactical way adapted to the contemporary student.

4. Intermezzo

In the last forty years there have been many changes in the scientific research on Medieval Dutch literature. In the past the approach was mainly aesthetic, while contemporary researchers have adopted a cultural-historic approach. Since this implies that all the transmitted Medieval texts are now subject to research, the quantity of primary and secondary literature has been increased substantially. Where in the past much energy was put into the publishing of primary texts, at present many books about Medieval Dutch literature have been published. Although it is hard to tell whether all developments can be considered as improvements, the extension of research-questions has augmented the understanding of the literary historical reality. This facilitates both the transfer of cultural knowledge as well as the stimulation of historical awareness.

Tight relations between schools and university-based scientific research of Medieval Dutch literature, can be very useful for the shaping of historical literature tuition. But it's role has to be supporting: advisory instead of prescriptive. The tuition of historical literature ought to be both scientific and didactic up to date.

5. Future

The third part is intended as contemplation about form and content of the tuition of Medieval Dutch literature in the future. According to the official plans, the implementation of the ‘Tweede Fase’ will cause a revolution in the tuition of literature on secondary school. The broad exam objective ‘Knowledge of and insight in literature’ has been replaced by a very detailed list of sub-objectives. If this programme has to be executed as a whole, both teachers and students will become short of time, since the time available for literary tuition has, paradoxically, been reduced by at least 50 %.

There is no evidence that the educational starting point for the tuition in historical literature, as described in the chapter about the past, will

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change much in the near future. But while until now most of the students started to read Medieval Dutch literature in the fourth grade (15/16 years old), in the ‘Tweede Fase’ they can choose to read these texts whenever they want, varying from havo 4 to vwo 6.

Though the time-diminishing consequences of the ‘Tweede Fase’ will put pressure on historical literature tuition, there are still several reasons to keep this subject in the curriculum of havo and vwo. It can stimulate young people to widen their (multi-)cultural view. Historical awareness, in my opinion, has to be the main objective of historical literature tuition. In addition, historical literature offers many possibilities to facilitate transfer of cultural knowledge, literary education, individual development and world orientation. The serious time problem for the literary tuition will challenge the teachers to find ways to prevent that the students have to work with one eye in the textbook and the other on the clock.

The primary historical text appeared to be of secondary importance in the last decades. The big educational publishers are only interested in publishing the expensive textbooks with literary history. In my opinion the original text in the tuition of historical literature requires revaluation. Although scientific researchers have criticised the use of a limited school canon, I consider these texts very suitable for use in secondary school. These texts enable the teacher to achieve many educational objectives at once. Concerning the literary history, the cultural-historical lines ought to be more emphasised.

For the tuition in historical literature in the ‘Tweede Fase’, textbooks must be designed for self-activity of the student. The existing text editions can only be used for traditional teaching: the teacher has to give necessary explanation to enable the students to understand the text and to conquer the barriers in culture and language. In the future books are required in which the primary text is put into the historical context, in a both scientific and didactic appropriate way. A first attempt, Karel ende Elegast in the new series Tekst in Context, was judged positively by the students.

The ‘studiehuis’ offers many possibilities to teach historical literature in a creative way. In the future a teacher is not condemned to address classes of about thirty students. He can arrange small groups of students with the same educational starting point in order to work more effectively.

6. Conclusion

For several reasons it is beneficial to preserve time for historical literature tuition in the ‘Tweede Fase’. The educational objective to stimulate historical awareness is important. Historical literature offers students

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possibilities to widen their social-cultural view. Medieval Dutch literature is, of course, not a sine qua non to achieve this. However, since the Middle Ages are increasingly popular, it would be unwise to neglect it. Scientific research of Medieval literature can support the schools to develop new textbooks and text editions which are both scientifically and didactically accurate. In that respect the new series Tekst in Context seems to be a promising start.

It is hard to predict how the tuition of literature will develop in the coming years. If the teacher will be forced to follow all the blueprints and rules, little time will be left for the tuition of historical literature. The relation between the official objectives and the available time is completely out of balance. Only after the ‘Tweede Fase’ is put into practice, we will know whether the possibility will remain to introduce the students to historical literature. Hopefully the textbooks, also those from the big educational publishers, will continue to pay attention to these historical encounters.

(Met dank aan Hilde Marleen Vreugdenhil-Gosker)