Minister announces Shakespeare lessons for five-year-olds

Teachers of all ages will soon be teaching the works of Shakespeare to their pupils, under a new government initiative.

Schools minister Jim Knight has called for children as young as five to be equipped with knowledge of the "most famous playwright of all time".

He announced that pupils of all ages will be given the opportunity to "enjoy Shakespeare's work", with schools throughout England being provided with a support package called Shakespeare For All Ages and Stages.

"It is fitting … that his work is a protected part of the curriculum in the country he came from," he added.

The initiative has been praised by Mick Waters, director of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, who noted that it will pose a positive challenge for teachers and pupils.

Children as young as eight should be taught philosophy lessons, the authors of new book Philosophy in Schools argued earlier this month.