"Paul Terry" wrote in message
...
In message , James
writes

At A level, marks are allocated for SPG (Spelling, Punctuation and
Grammar) in all papers involving prose answers, whatever the subject.
This has been the case for many years. I don't think the problem is lack
of incentive so much as lack of ability.

Yeah, about three marks.

Three marks per paper in each of 6 papers.

It can make a difference, but it probably won't.

On the contrary, with only 6 marks between grades in many subjects 3 marks
are likely to make the difference of a grade for many candidates.

--
Paul Terry

I probably shouldn't reply to this thread as it misses the point of my
original point, but I can't help it.

I am quite upset - hurt at the way a few spelling mistakes - mistakes that
must occure many hundreds of thousands of times in newsgroup posts, have
been taken as proof that students are not what they used to be, or that
teaching standards have dropped.

I am one student of about three hundred thousand who enter Higher education
every year. Like most of my contemporaries I have worked incredibly hard to
get here - I am proud to say that I have earned my place at one of the
country's best Universities.

And I have done that, not as an able-bodied student, perhaps privately or
grammer school educated, but as somebody who is registered blind, surviving
in a comprehensive school where few want to learn, or hold asperations
beyond the dole queue.

I don't like to make a "big thing" of my visual impairment - I passed tha
same exams that everyone else does to get to University, I had to reach the
same standards. But when I see people pendantically picking apart my
spelling, or bemoaning failing education standards based on my prose I feel
sad. Sad that people cannot see how well I have done to get where I am
today. Sad that people cannot be glad that I am researching a subject of
interest to them. Sad that I - somebody who is registered blind, can
succeed at this level of education at all.

I wrote, in good faith, a well structured post asking for peoples'
experiences. In return I have received a barrage of hurtful criticism.
Criticism of me, of my University and of students as a whole. Why can't you
discuss the "real" issues raised by my questions, instead of the tired old
arguements reserrected everytime a story about Further or Higher education
hits the front pages. By all means,

Yours,

Robert

P.S. I apologise for the tone of this post - whilst I mean every word of it,
I might have put it slightly more diplomatically were it not for half a
bottle of good wine and an impulse reaction to your posts.