...Sorry Chris Nugent, I got half-way through this article and got bored with it: That is, bored with the basic irrelevance of the subject.

...I, like so many of my peer group, finished school at fifteen barely able to read, and many couldn’t read or write; this was pretty normal for the time...Seems though that academia is in panic over the obvious nature of its failure to actually educate the children in its care: So which of the two groups will gain the most from the latest attention to failure?

I have tried to read this article. There are so many assumptions and flawed arguments in it, that it is almost impossible to respond to unless one writes an short book!!

In many cases Nugent's writing is in fact, quite illogical and makes no sense at all.

Reply to Turps

The bald statement by "Turps" to the effect that my writing on literacy education is "illogical" suggests to me that he or she should simply lay off the turps before going public. Sincerely : Chris Nugent

Read all of the article Chris and couldn't agree more! Would that you were tasked with rolling out an upgraded school curricula!

Diver Dan, if you had been exposed to Chris Nugent's obvious English teaching skills, you wouldn't be bagging him, but rather, praising him!
Given you would be able to read and comprehend more fully the subject matter under discussion, instead of putting it down half read!
Then presenting your almost incomprehensible obdurate obtuse objections!
One has to listen to the whole argument before simply rejecting it.
Which is pretty well what ideologues do? Thought you were better than that?
Our kids as never before any any part of our history, will need a substantial comprehensive education!
And without any shadow of a doubt, excellent reading skills will be an ultra essential part of it!
Rhrosty.

...Well Rhosty, on the other hand, I remain impressed with your lateral thinking on “most” subjects.

Have to agree spelling is important. One boy at our local school quickly got the hang of phonetics but used to spell exactly the way he spoke. He used to write of catching the chrane and riding on his uncle's chrakter. We had to read his work out loud to decipher it. Perhaps elocution should be put back on the curriculum.

Phonetics is not phonics, Candide. Incorrect use of definitions is part of the whole problem in illiteracy.

An excellent article which strikes a particular type of holding and/or joining device squarely on its driving surface with unerring accuracy.