A very good article. Could I perhaps offer an additional 'basic' to the three espoused? Basic number 4: grammar.

Absolutely agree Chis; and well written thoughtful article!
Look, three weeks ago I cudent spel unavercity studant, now I are one.
Rhrosty.

The teaching of grammar went out when I was in 3rd grade. I managed to pick up a lot informally through studying other languages, but still can't parse and analyse.

I remember when my younger brother was having trouble at school, and my mother checked over his work. "Ben" she said "This sentence hasn't got a verb."

And Ben said "What's a verb?"

I have known tertiary graduates who couldn't spell or write grammatical English to save their lives.

In the numeracy department, McDonalds has to teach all their recruits basic maths because after ten years of compulsory government education, too many of them don't know how to add up or subtract properly.

So we have the situation where a hamburger chain provides quicker, more effective, less painful, and much cheaper education, and then puts it on the web for free for everyone.

I was talking with a workmate a few years ago, and she was lamenting her son's inability to do basic writing and maths.

And I said, I think I know why. I saw a photo in the local paper of all the children of a local state school, assembled out on the oval, with their bodies forming the big letters "SAVE OUR PLANET" that could be seen from the air.

And she said "That's my son's school! He's in that photo!"

So if you want to know why they can't read and write properly...

ACARA's recent recommendation for an indigenous Aboriginal perspective on trigonometry, ancient history and Shakespeare, was obviously so laughable it shouldn't have got off the ground. But here it was, being honestly touted for compulsory imposition across the nation. These conceited know-it-alls are in such a self-referential groupthink echo chamber they have no idea how ridiculous and offensive they are to the people who are being forced to pay for them.

All conceivable arguments for state education are demolished in Benjamin Mark's excellent essay "Archipelagos of Educational Chaos":
http://mises.org/journals/jls/19_2/19_2_5.pdf

Education and state should be separated for all the same reasons that religion and state should be separated.

Rhrosty.. Wunnerful commentationing!

There is a problem with trying to teach English grammar: that being that there is no such thing as a formal grammar for English.

The problem with trying to teach spelling for English is that most words have many potential ways to spell them according to the spelling "rules" but only one or two will be correct. This results in the only real way to learn English spelling is to spend 1000's of hours learning/memorising individual words (this happens mainly by spending *a lot* of time reading). Compare this with languages like Spanish or Finnish where the spelling of most words follow a few simple rules related to the sound of the word. Unsurprisingly many countries that speak Spanish have high literacy levels despite the fact that they don't allocate as many resources to childhood learning as we do.

The problem of iliteracy is continualy with us
A boon for child lerners and adult failers in literacy, with special reference to indigenus lerners, is removing useless letters in words and changing misleading letters in paralel cribs and dictionary pronunciation gides.
Try an experiment. Oposit a paragraf in correct spelling, try a paralel 'crib' in which, apart from 38 common irregular words making up 12% of everyday text, misleading letters ar changed, and surplus letters ar omitted.
See if this helps strugling lerners to read correct spelling.
This letter is in a posibl 'crib' spelling to try out.

- An easier spelling for the 'crib' that still remaind easily readabl by present readers drops 6% of letters surplus to showing meaning or pronunciation as in GUARD (6%) and changes misleading letters as in WOMEN (4%) in everyday text, apart from keeping 38 very common irregular words which make up 12% of the text Many beginners using Phonics are baffled by the 12% of everyday text which is very common words which do not fit Phonics early patterns. If beginners are given these 38 words to learn by rote, as 'Special Words' then the rest of their early learning can be Phonics, and easy Phonics because these 36 words do not have to fit Phonics. That is far easier than trying to learn all words by rote in Whole Language.
These 38 words are: - ALL ALMOST ALWAYS AMONG AS ARE COME SOME COULD SHOULD WOULD HALF KNOW OF OFF ONE ONLY ONCE OTHER PULL PUSH PUT THEY THEIR TWO AS WAS WHAT WANT WHO WHY, WORD and word-endings -ION/-TION/-SION. ( Reserch with flash-cards can deminstrate almost everyone can lern 40 words by rote.)
Up to three spellings would be allowd for speech sounds, insted of the dozens at present to be lernd.
- Spelling Without Traps as making dictionary pronunciation gides!

What a great article. As an ex English and Shorthand Teacher can certainly relate with article. I was a teacher years ago at a business college (students straight out of school system) teaching shorthand, typing and bookkeeping. It quickly became evident to me that students were having problems with the English part of exam papers including transposing Shorthand from free dictation. Some cultures don't have an "r" sounding word in their language. In order to assist students I offered any student who required assistance in shorthand, english or spelling a "free lunch" session five days per week, bring your lunch and books and let's have some fun learning was my motto - offer open to any student requiring assistance. I expected two pupils in my first lesson. My classroom was "full" of my students plus students not in my class - who wanted to give up their lunch break. I was soooo moved at attendance to ask the question what did they want most from me to assist them.......their response being to a "t" we would luv you to teach us all the rules of english grammar that we weren't taught in school...... all exams conducted by this college being - external. In essence my lessons were successful. All students graduated. The moral of this story.
1. Students wanted to learn from a friendly teacher who knew she had their best interests at heart.
2. Students acknowledging they had a lacking in skills from high school in order to pass external exams in a Business College environment.
3. Students giving up "free" lunch time with eating lunch in classroom whilst continuing to learn.
4. Principal wanting to know why so many students in classroom - thinking detention. Until person was advised students chose to attend lesson on English etc.
5. All students graduated.
6. PRICELESS - better than winning lotto.
The year late 70's - what has changed in teaching grammar, spelling, phoenitics in schools today, obviously - nothing.