Education Quandary

A circular to parents from my year-11 son's English teacher contained two grammatical howlers. How do we tactfully point out that the head of English needs lessons in English usage, even if she is inspirational in other areas? Or are we making a fuss about nothing?

HILARY'S ADVICE

It is becoming increasingly apparent that a whole generation of young adults passed through school and university with no more than a cursory glance at English grammar. Parents of both private- and state-school pupils can cite many examples of mistakes in reports and letters sent home from school, and anyone who has read the uncorrected readers' letters to the Times Educational Supplement knows that teachers are sometimes no better at spelling and grammar than the rest of us. But they should be, especially if their job is to pass on the rudiments of English. What hope do children have of learning to use their language with clarity if the person teaching them confuses, say, principal with principle, or can only guess at where the apostrophe goes in "it's"?

However, these are minor mistakes, compared with what one English teacher wrote: "As part of their GCSE set literature text we are fortunate to be invited to see students interpretations of Lord of the Flies on Monday 2 December at [the local] College of Further Education. There is no cost for this trip out of school, except the cost of public transport. The trip becomes too expensive if we were to provide transport and therefore it is far cheaper for students to leave school and catch a bus into the City Centre [sic]."

Worrying about such mangled prose is certainly not making a fuss about nothing, but it is tricky to know how to address the issue tactfully. Another teacher suggests that rather than confronting the teacher head-on ("the poor woman would be mortified"), it might be better to write to the head, citing worries about the calibre of recent missives from the school, and suggesting that they check these more carefully before sending them out. You could then add that, in the light of this, you are concerned about how well proper English usage is being taught – though the English teaching seems good in other respects – and that you trust that the school will check that standards are being maintained.

However, if your son starts writing in an English as garbled as his teacher's, there may be nothing for it but to fill in the grammatical gaps at home.

READERS' ADVICE

As a year-11 student myself, I do believe that you are making a fuss over nothing. If your son is learning well enough and he likes the teacher, why waste energy over two mistakes? I think you will find that many teachers, even English teachers, cannot spell, let alone tackle grammar. A worrying thought, isn't it?

Katie Hardie, Manchester

If I were the parent, I would find out more about the work being done by the teacher with the class, to establish whether she is neglecting grammar. After all, the circular might have been an aberration, and if she is popular with the children, she deserves this consideration. Only then would I think about complaining to the school. In the meantime, I would (anonymously) send the circular back to the teacher. Errors would be underlined in red, and annotated with "6/10 – See Me", as a humorous, but pointed observation.

Peter Groome, Bristol

Good use of English is about being able to communicate clearly, and to do this you have to know the rules. But language also needs to be flexible and a vehicle for personal expression. Pupils become inhibited about writing if they think that they are going to be picked up on grammar and spelling. English teachers have a difficult job balancing these two needs.

Jayne Wilson, Finchley

Send your letters or quandaries to Hilary Wilce, to reach her by next Monday, 13 January, at The Independent, Education Desk, Second Floor, Independent House, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS; or fax 020-7005 2143; or send e-mails to h.wilce @btinternet.com. Please include details of your postal address. Readers whose letters are printed will receive a Berol Combi Pack containing a cartridge pen, handwriting pen and ink eraser

NEXT WEEK'S QUANDARY

'In cases where the new anti-truancy law has been applied to penalise parents, it only seems to be the mother who is fined or imprisoned, even though in most cases she has been a co-parent with a father who shares the family home. The law holds both parents responsible for providing an education, via a school or otherwise. Shouldn't fathers be held equally responsible?'

Send your letters or quandaries to Hilary Wilce, to reach her by next Monday, 16 December, at The Independent, Education Desk, Second Floor, Independent House, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS; or fax 020-7005 2143; or send e-mails to h.wilce@btinternet.com. Please include details of your postal address. Readers whose letters are printed will receive a Berol Combi Pack containing a cartridge pen, handwriting pen and ink eraser.