Pupils taught to use exclamation marks!

WHAT a surprise! Schoolchildren must be taught to cut down on exclamation marks, the Government has said.

Strict new guidelines issued to teachers in England ahead of grammar tests this summer state seven-year-olds should only use exclamation marks in sentences starting ‘How’ and ‘What’ which contain a verb.

It means pupils will gain marks for writing: ‘How amazing it was!’ or ‘What a fun time we had!’ but not for: ‘How amazing!’ or ‘What a fun time!’.

The national curriculum guidelines for English writing state: ‘Pupils should learn how to use sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command.

‘A sentence that takes the form of an exclamation starts with “What” or “How” and uses the syntax of an exclamation, e.g: “What a good friend you are!”; “How unusual her shoes are!”.’

The new marking scheme follows concern among some in the education sector that social media was causing young children to use incorrect grammar, including over-using exclamation marks – such as writing ‘omg!!’

But the Department for Education insisted the move was to ensure pupils understood the correct use of punctuation.

Ben Fuller, of education improvement company Herts for Learning, called the move ‘farcical’ and accused ministers of dragging writing back to the 19th Century.

Expressions such as ‘How amazing it was!’ were ‘not exactly common parlance for your average 21st century seven-year- old’, he wrote in education paper Schools Week.

Mr Fuller said he felt ‘deeply uncomfortable’ about the guidelines and warned they could cause teachers to ‘teach to the test’.

He added: ‘Is this going to lead to better teaching? Is this going to lead to better standards in writing? Or is this about promoting a formulaic “painting by numbers” approach to writing?

‘Can anyone within the Department for Education (DfE) justify this extraordinary requirement for seven-year-old children to write in such an old-fashioned tongue?’

Critics also hit out at the scheme on social media, with one user simply calling the move ‘Tosh!’.

Dr Trevor Bolton, vice-chancellor at Anglia Ruskin University, tweeted: ‘The #exclama- tion mark is under threat! It should only be used at the end of sentences that begin “how” or “what” say experts! Cripes!!!!’

While North Somerset Children’s Book Group joked it would be easy for children to remember the ‘correct’, Government-prescribed way of using exclamation marks by learning the sentences: ‘How ridiculous! What a load of rubbish!’.

The guidelines also state that exclamation marks have ‘wider usage’ and can be used to ‘mark an exclamation or give emphasis or emotive force to a statement or command’.

A Department for Education spokesman said: ‘A high-quality education in English – and the ability to communicate effectively – is an important part of the Government’s commitment to extend opportunity to all.’

Chris Deerin – Page 16