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Political correctness gone mad!!
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Teachers at a primary school have been told not to mark children's work in red ink because it encourages a "negative approach".
In future, pupils at Uplands Manor Primary School in Smethwick, West Midlands, will see their mistakes struck through with a green pen.
Critics have condemned the change as "politically correct" and "trendy".
But Penny Penn-Howard, head of school improvement for Sandwell Council, said: "The colour of the pen used for marking is not greatly significant except that the red pen has negative connotations and can be seen as a negative approach to improving pupils' work.
"Therefore, it is quite legitimate for a school to have a consistent policy that it uses a different colour."
Children not gullible
The red pen goes further back than most schools, having been developed during the mid-19th Century, when ammonia-based dyes became available.
The school took the decision to introduce green ink independently of the local authority.
Frank Betteridge, Conservative education spokesman on Sandwell Council, said: "Ever since people have written in coloured ink, blue has meant credit and red has meant debit.
"Children are not gullible. They will soon realise that green means the same as red used to.
"If it's a question in maths or spelling, it's either right or wrong. That needs to be emphasised.
"The remarks on the page should tell children where they are going right or wrong."
Uplands Manor, which has 630 pupils, denied green ink had been introduced to prevent hurt feelings.
But Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: "If you use red ink, pupils can see straight away where they have gone wrong and where they can do better.
"Children have to learn to take life's ups and downs. Banning red ink is a rather trendy and politically correct idea."
Honestly the colour of pen's.....politicaly correct!!!
Mind you, i still think it's wrong to write notes and letters in red ink coz its rude.
In future, pupils at Uplands Manor Primary School in Smethwick, West Midlands, will see their mistakes struck through with a green pen.
Critics have condemned the change as "politically correct" and "trendy".
But Penny Penn-Howard, head of school improvement for Sandwell Council, said: "The colour of the pen used for marking is not greatly significant except that the red pen has negative connotations and can be seen as a negative approach to improving pupils' work.
"Therefore, it is quite legitimate for a school to have a consistent policy that it uses a different colour."
Children not gullible
The red pen goes further back than most schools, having been developed during the mid-19th Century, when ammonia-based dyes became available.
The school took the decision to introduce green ink independently of the local authority.
Frank Betteridge, Conservative education spokesman on Sandwell Council, said: "Ever since people have written in coloured ink, blue has meant credit and red has meant debit.
"Children are not gullible. They will soon realise that green means the same as red used to.
"If it's a question in maths or spelling, it's either right or wrong. That needs to be emphasised.
"The remarks on the page should tell children where they are going right or wrong."
Uplands Manor, which has 630 pupils, denied green ink had been introduced to prevent hurt feelings.
But Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: "If you use red ink, pupils can see straight away where they have gone wrong and where they can do better.
"Children have to learn to take life's ups and downs. Banning red ink is a rather trendy and politically correct idea."
Honestly the colour of pen's.....politicaly correct!!!
Mind you, i still think it's wrong to write notes and letters in red ink coz its rude.
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Comments
I thought the main reason of using red for corrections was that it was easy to see? I certainly had no negative feelings towards red ink :rolleyes:
Using green, i think, wont be as effective. Its easy to skip over green writing on paper if you have been writing with blue or black.
Suspect that sort of thinking is the source of the change...and wonder what the 'teacher' was doing when she read it.:D