When reading we often shun the short story aside in favour of the novel. We expect more for our money, therefore when we spend £4/5 on a book we expect many chapters and in depth characters, plot twists and developments that we can engross ourselves with over a serious period of time. However, we aren't children and our focus as adults engrossed in literature is entirely different from children who are initially being exposed to new topics.
As teaching staff we have a choice when it comes to exposing pupils to literature from around the world. When pupils begin learning about literature we can either give them dense novels that take several weeks to get through with arduous plot twists and complex literary devices to contend with. With a universally loved text this would not be an issue as all pupils would be engaged but with a text from a different heritage then pupils may struggle to understand how the text progresses as we cannot understand how their culture and society works or how it has been affected by history.
The function of the short story is unique to English, and without it in lessons pupils would be at a loss. If we focus on the size then it is far more manageable for children who have yet to leave school, as if they do not connect with the text then they do not have to struggle along with the rest of the class for a whole term to cover it and fall behind. Instead, they take one or two weeks to try and handle it and then the text changes to something different that could engage them immediately. On a social aspect it is paramount as teachers that we create well rounded individuals who are respectful of others and their beliefs/ideals, and behind History and RE I believe English to be a provider of this skill.
As schools provide a strong background to develop social, moral, spiritual and cultural skills I believe that if we lost the short story from the curriculum then it would not be just English teachers that were affected but the spiritual and cultural well-being of the pupils and the school.
