Yes, I'm an English major

"[T]he best pupils in our literature classes are chosen and brought up to be teachers themselves" (122). This is one thing Marou considers a inheritance from the Classical education system. Since he was writing over 50 years ago (and in France) I can only guess that's how it was. Today, in Canada we've broken with that tradition, and for the worse.

At present (in Ontario) the standard (read assumed) career path of an undergraduate English major is teaching. That has not changed. But are only the best getting through to teach? Not by a long shot.

Instead, nepotism and seniority are the primary reasons for new teachers getting off the substitute list and into full time positions. The latter can (and no doubt often does) yield fine teachers, whereas the former is a cancer on the system.

It's gotten to the point, in fact, that the Toronto District School Board now only takes in candidates from the wait list for interviews in order of seniority. I can't say if other boards have done the same, but at this point it's clear that English majors should be given more information regarding career options. The University of Waterloo offers them co-op like options, including entrepreneurial grants - why don't other institutions do the same?

Surely English majors are among those graduating with the fewest clear career choices, and thus English programs must appear to universities as one of the most disposable compared to programs in the Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics, and Technology. But English majors are trained to communicate clearly, a skill that is incredibly useful when it comes to making those four areas' discoveries understandable and yet interesting to non-specialists.

In short, at this point in time it seems that the best course of action is to give English (and History and Philosophy, etc. majors) more career choices outside of teacher, barista, or "Customer Experience Representative." Such a course of action would keep those who shouldn't teach from doing so, thereby allowing those who ought to into the profession.