The relentless dumbing-down of British education has meant, as I predicted here, that a generation of nominally educated people cannot distinguish good and bad. From Yahoo News:
Marking of national curriculum tests has been condemned as "abysmal" and "erratic" by a primary school head.
Janis Burdin, of Moss Side Primary School, in Leyland, Lancs, said children were betrayed by a failing scheme that has reportedly used inexperienced graduates as markers.
"Inexperienced" though a graduate might be, at one time possession of a university degree guaranteed that he was functionally literate. No longer.
Ms Burdin, who is demanding some papers be remarked, released two examples of 11-year-olds' Key Stage 2 tests in English.
A talented pupil was given fewer marks than another, who wrote of Pip Davenport, a fairground inventor: "If he wasent doing enthing els heel help his uncle Herry at the funfair during the day.
"And hed stoody at nigh on other thing he did was invent new rides."
The pupil who scored a lower mark wrote: "Quickly, it became apparent that Pip was a fantastic rider: a complete natural.
"But it was his love of horses that led to a tragic accident. An accident that would change his life forever.
"At the age of 7 he was training for a local competition when his horse, Mandy, swerved sideways unexpectedly, throwing Pip on to the ground, paralysed."
Ms Burdin said both youngsters were awarded five out of eight for sentence structure.
The first was given eight from 12 for composition and effect but the second child just seven marks.
If the bright eleven-year-old becomes disaffected, he may rebel altogether when he reaches sixteen, and write "f*** off" on his exam paper. Then where will he be?
