Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Curriculum and Assessment Review will consider mandating a gender balance in the authors of texts students study for GCSE English Literature.

The selection of set texts for examination in GCSE English Literature is down to the exam boards. Schools are given the freedom of choice to select works that fulfil the aims of the national curriculum for English Literature, which aims to ensure that all pupils appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage.