Red Ink emotionally scars children - Nation of cry babies !

Given the fact that children who do play outside on their own often end up being a nuisance to others this is perhaps a good thing! However, that aside, the topic here is specifically directed at schools, which have yet to be criticised for their desire to protect children from the harsh realities of life. Realities, which they will have to deal with as adults!

I read recently that in schools they now have the following policies:

Do not use red pen to correct errors – reason- it can upset the children.

Do not correct all errors- reason- it can upset children, all those corrections.

See here:

“When it comes to correcting papers and grading tests, purple is emerging as the new red.

"If you see a whole paper of red, it looks pretty frightening," said Sharon Carlson, a health and physical education teacher at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Northampton. "Purple stands out, but it doesn't look as scary as red."

And

"I do not use red," said Robin Slipakoff, who teaches second and third grades at Mirror Lake Elementary School in Plantation, Fla. "Red has a negative connotation, and we want to promote self-confidence. I like purple. I use purple a lot."

On the subject of correcting spellings this is taken from a school policy document on marking children’s work.

“All spelling, punctuation and grammar errors are not marked in every piece of writing but will be noted as a future teaching point. However, where punctuation, grammar or spelling is a curricular target then children will be expected to attempt to meet their current target and meet previous targets: e.g. when an adult feels that a child can correct a spelling he or she will circle the part of the word the child has spelt incorrectly in order for them to attempt to correct it."

*Insert loud scream here*

I don’t recall, any emotional scarring occurring with myself or anyone else I know from either of these things from my own youth so who on earth decided that this needed regulation?

Or…………

Is this a cunning bluff to disguise the fact that many teachers can’t spell these days and so cannot correct 100% of the errors of their students?

Imagine parents complaining about lack of correction, that wouldn’t look good at all.

I personally think that my crazy explanation is far more likely than the school’s crazy explanation that red correction is emotionally damaging to the child! Where is your evidence!!

No wonder children can barely read, write or spell!

Apologies for scaring you with all this red font........NOT!