I would not say that Genre Fiction is less worthy than Literary Fiction, but there certainly is a difference between the two. Yes, both Genre Fiction and Literary Fiction can have the same themes and motifs, but the difference is that these themes and symbols are delivered in a different way. Literary Fiction tends to have more depth and takes more dissection in order to understand the less apparant symbols, while in Genre Fiction, the themes are more apparant and the reader is carried by a faster, plot driven story, that takes little, in-depth examination. Popular books can still be great, it's just that popular works tend to be more accessable to the public, so it's less likely that the majority of readers who read for entertainment will choose a deep, "artisticly" written book, not to say that great books can't be artistic or very well written. It's just that someone looking for an entertaining book will be more stimulated by a plot driven book that doesn't hide its details. The reader is always the one who decides what good writing is. No one else.

I personally do not think that genre fiction really has its place in schools. I think that the way that literary diction is taught is the issue, not the fact that its exclusive. If there's no content in a genre fiction novel that cannot be uncovered through analytical practices that will help us in the real world, then there is really no point in teaching us that, since there isn't much to teach other than "read it."

Anyway. The way that literary fiction is taught is something that should be changed. If students are rushed, and are taught to read for test answers, then I feel that there is no point, because it's not like later on in life people will read so they can answer a test question. I like the way that I was taught to read Great Gatsby, for example. There was a deadline to finish, but it was not danger close. We were told to read at our own pace, but still dissect each chapter and try to develop an understanding of what the author was really saying, given the context of the culture that he wrote the novel in. While no one could uncover every single symbol and meaning in Great Gatsby, there was a sense of enjoyment and accomplishment to doing that. If I read the novel without any close examination, it would've been just a boring book about the 1920's. However, thanks to the way that I was encouraged to read the novel, I was able to find that the novel was much deeper than that, and I learned a new way of reading and analyzing text, which can help later in life.

I really hated the way I read Of Mice and Men though. We read it for test answers, reading only a few chapters, and then watching the movie. I feel like I missed out on a lot of good content and detail that I could've discovered if I had read the entire novel myself, rather than being guided through quickley, for test answers.
If kids are taught to read for test answers, then there's no authenticity, and the books hold little meaning to them. If people are taught to own what they read and read to find a meaning for themselves, then perhaps kids would be more enthusiastic about it.