tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post6338202286397166618..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: An Open Letter to the Education Secretary, Ofqual and STA... Cecilia BusbyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-68022246356612622322015-06-25T05:43:17.233+01:002015-06-25T05:43:17.233+01:00I agree with you...languages must be taught differ...I agree with you...languages must be taught differently. I see so much emphasis on grammar and rereading the same lessons over and over again. How can the child love to read and write?<br /><br />A very interesting petition indeed...all the best with it! Neelimahttp://blog.instascribe.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-4555708249489493942015-06-09T13:29:25.701+01:002015-06-09T13:29:25.701+01:00Having just completed a year as a Royal Literary F...Having just completed a year as a Royal Literary Fund Fellow in a university helping students with their academic writing, I saw the echoes of this early teaching, especially on the English courses. One of the first quotes I put up in my office was Stephen King's "Any word you have to look up in a thesaurus is the WRONG word." (That one made students laugh, but they saw the point!)<br /><br />Katherine Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-51893178811785265052015-06-08T09:54:23.083+01:002015-06-08T09:54:23.083+01:00Such a good idea to send this. It needs to be said...Such a good idea to send this. It needs to be said. Good luck.Hilary Hawkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12573780178193323715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-13339167514614406692015-06-07T12:24:39.986+01:002015-06-07T12:24:39.986+01:00Please include my name if it's not too late. A...Please include my name if it's not too late. As a former secondary school English teacher I spent a lot of time trying to undo the damage of primary school teaching on creative writing.Sheena Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13847659993713606837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-73531725149960100402015-06-06T20:02:54.882+01:002015-06-06T20:02:54.882+01:00Please do put my name on this excellent letter. I ...Please do put my name on this excellent letter. I hate the way that children are taught to write, and would like to know who makes these terrible and ignorant decisions. I don't think I could pass English Language GCSE, because of the stupid way it is constructed, and I've been a professional writer and editor since I was 18.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10610409581031026487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-78912297277345299772015-06-06T19:05:50.323+01:002015-06-06T19:05:50.323+01:00Good wishes with this, especially as these require...Good wishes with this, especially as these requirements seem to be "encouraged" in children between six to eleven years of age! Penny.Penny Dolannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-25843759119612186492015-06-06T15:56:51.934+01:002015-06-06T15:56:51.934+01:00Just to say - I will be sending a shorter version ...Just to say - I will be sending a shorter version to the Education Secretary, but this one to Ofqual and the STA as I think they do need the details. Any other suggestions for changes welcome!C.J.Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12288574235370421625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-25531718281071481662015-06-06T09:53:43.312+01:002015-06-06T09:53:43.312+01:00I think you're right if this were actually a &...I think you're right if this were actually a 'political' letter going to a newspaper - and I think the copy sent to the education secretary is probably an exercise in futility - but the people I've talked to at Ofqual and STA seem quite genuinely open to hearing what we have to say and I think they will engage with a longer and more reasoned version.C.J.Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12288574235370421625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-45197683781687755682015-06-06T08:54:30.177+01:002015-06-06T08:54:30.177+01:00May I make a suggestion based on the experience of...May I make a suggestion based on the experience of writing thousands of letters? It needs to be much shorter. Letters should usually be just one page in length. That is all that will be read.<br />That probably sounds very negative and critical but it really isn't intended to be and please do say this because it needs to be said here Downunder too!catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.com