Mor long-winded verby age fromma nutha edu cashunnailist.

Why so much fuss about what is incredibly esi 2 ficks?. Fri edu cashun was brought in in the 1860s as "human capital" became needed. So to state in 2008 that education is about creating human capital is merely reinventing a very old idea. And please, don't tell me we have to fiddle with spelling etc-kids used to learn to spell accurately many many years ago, without serious difficulty and despite differing socio-economic backgrounds, which is more than they do today.

The old teaching methods, though greatly derided by those who need to deride any prior education method so as to make their living as an educationalist, worked and worked well. Teach English grammar as a formal subject once again. Teach maths without calculators, teach a second language and music at an early age, and if kids get unruly bring in some old fashioned discipline. And for heavens sake cut the politically correct fuzzy-huggy rubbish that so far only guarantees falling standards in behaviour, literacy, numeracy, history and scientific knowledge. That WOULD be revolutionary

Thank u, Henry. I hope u can re-read my articl carefully. Hardly any of it is politically correct. There is no fuzzy hugging.

I agree that old teaching methods workd well for even a majority of students, and that structure and disiplin help lerning,and that it helps to hav formal grammar and maths without calculators.

However, failure rates hav always been extremely hi among disadvantaged children, then as now. In Victorian times, primary school children could spend a third of the curriculum lerning to spell – lerning litl else, and many were still poor readers.

My professional work has been concernd with children and adults failing to read. Too often there are gaps and confusions that need to be cleared up – hence my practical recommendations such as removing common barriers to literacy in classrooms.
A 16-word spelling test demonstrates that most adults cannot spell well – even the most educated. http://www.ozreadandspell.com.au/16sp.htm


Almost every other modern language has improved its writing sistem in the past 150 years - exept English. If they can, why do we continue to impose out-of date inconsistencies. Spelling is information tecnology, not a totem.

No need to change the whole sistem – just take the traps out.

Children need to rote-lern arithmetic tables. These are sensibl. But why hav to rote-lern spellings which are not sensibl? Children in other countries with mor consistent alfabetic spellings can lern to read in one year. Ours take three years to be able to read as well.

This is ritten in spelling with traps taken out for lerners. Look at each change – is it mor stupid than what we hav, left over from 250 years ago? English spelling is changing, but too slowly - e.g. programme to program, musick to music, and phantasy to fantasy.


BTW Teachers today are not allowd ‘old fashiond disiplin’ for unruly students today. They would be sued, and in some places, parents would bash them up. However, there is much that needs to be done, and could be done.

(BTW I did not mention ‘human capital’ exept as the blurb for Rudd’s revolution.)

Thanks Val,

You have convinced me in regard to spelling.

I could spell very well in primary school, but I am finding that as the years move forward, I forget how to spell words I once could. It would help me if we used a consistent system of spelling as you advocate. Possibly some scope for humour, irony and puns would be lost from the English language, but I still think we would all still be better off in the longer term.

Also, I hope you intend to continue to contribute to OLO and not feel discouraged if the number of responses to your articles is not always as much as the quality of your writing and your ideas warrant. I have been meaning to respond to quite a few of your articles, but can't always find the time.

---

BTW, the URL http://www.ozreadandspell.com.au/16sp.htm appears to be wrong.

The correct URL for the sixteen-word spelling test that most people cannot do correctly is

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ozideas/16sp.htm

I am sorry that I short-sightedly put in the wrong address