Must be true, it's in the Mail

[d9f1c7]

http://www.dailymail....-upsets-children.html
OK even the Mail couldn't make this up! I'm sorry have we gone completely stark raving bonkers?

[sp1814]

Can someone PLEASE explain why the Daily Mail is reporting on a story which is nearly ten years old:

http://news.bbc.co.uk...education/2688623.stm

Ohh...can you imagine tomorrow they will be reporting that Take That have reformed, the SARS epidemic and that America has invaded Iraq.

Can't wait personally.

[FredPuli43]

Somebody mentioned gerunds ? And not gerundives? Surely a distinction every schoolboy knows (well, they do if they do A level Latin).

It's a misguided attempt to stop children being discouraged. Let's face it, even 50 years ago,even able children could be disheartened and give up on the subject if constantly failing. The answer was to encourage them in what they could master in it and go on from there. But that's all right if they're in a Public School or prep school, with the resources for individual teaching for every pupil,if needed, and small classes anyway. Normal schools haven't got that available to them and are reduced to gimmicks like banning red ink, as if having purple or pink, or any other colour, on the work isn't discouraging.

[FredPuli43]

Oh, well spotted, sp . The online page itself shows the story was last updated 1.03 26 December 2008, so the story is old (and that Boxing Day must have been quiet!).

[pdq1]

I thought we were moving away from the pinkie left wing liberals where no child ever fails. Their 80's influence have produced the young misfits we have today in society.

[sandyRoe]

They'll be wanting children to play competitive games next.

[emmie]

sandy, indeed.

[Mosaic]

This is very ancient and is not news. A good teacher will judge their pupils' nature and preferences and will know their capacity for constructive or aggressive criticism. 'marking' ie providing feedback isn't only done with a pen. And when it is, the pen is often one of many colours. Having said that some headteachers create school policies insisting that marking is done in red pen. Sometimes a student needs robust feedback, and sometimes they need gently chivvying along.

[gness]

Not in the school i refused to let my daughter attend Sandy. NO competition at all. Sports day was a washout. Why run fast when everyone got gold ribbon? Soon became one of the poorest schools in town.

[Johnysid]

If this were science based I would be happy about it - you know, have 10000 children on red ink and 10000 matched kids on blue ink for a year and measure the difference.

If it is postmodernism those responsible should be sacked.