An Analysis of Primary Literacy Policy in England using Barthes’ Notion of ‘Readerly’ and ‘Writerly’ Texts

Abstract

This article seeks to describe and explain the nature of current literacy policy in England, especially the National Literacy Strategy (NLS). It applies Barthes’ concept of ‘readerly’ and ‘writerly’ texts to literacy policy documents. The article is not so much about the merits or demerits of the various conceptions of literacy underpinning the documents, but about who gets to define what counts as literacy and the most appropriate way to develop it. A key question to be addressed is: where does authority lie in the English policy texts on primary literacy? The article refers to three primary policy contexts, in order to understand the origin and format of the current policy: ‘the context of influence’; ‘the context of policy text production’; and ‘the context of practice’. The first section of the article outlines the theoretical framework, it offers a rationale for the focus and approach, it explains the notion of policy contexts, and it then describes Barthes’ account of literary texts. The second, and longer section, examines current policy documents in the light of this framework. It is argued that state control over literacy policy increased considerably with the advent of the NLS and this occurred at the cost of teacher power and teacher autonomy.