Reading Between The Political Lines

JOHN Howard has a gift for voicing public concerns in a way that anyone can understand. The Prime Minister's commentary ranges freely across portfolios (even contradicting embarrassed ministers) and is not confined to federal responsibilities. Not for the first time, Mr Howard has ventured into the state arena of school curriculums to condemn the "dumbing down" of English studies. He complains that "traditional texts are treated no differently from pop cultural commentary". While the states and ...