Thursday 15 November 2007

Standards. That's what 97% are saying.

An online newspaper poll suggests some minimal public support for standards in education [hat tip Robin T.]. New Zealand Qualifications Authority's deputy chief executive Bali Haque told the Herald that students using "text" language in their exams -- in the style made popular through text messaging -- would "not necessarily fail." Ninety-seven percent of the 4,472 people who responded to that story have effectively told the New Zealand Qualifications Authority's deputy chief executive to take a running jump.


If only he'd take the strong hint.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, and online newspaper poll. That'll be worth taking seriously. Enjoying that "Lying with Statistics" book, Peter?

Anonymous said...

With all due respect Sir Fisher and in all fairness to Peter, "An online newspaper poll suggests", is not the same as declaring the statistic accurate and final. Lighten up?

Peter Cresswell said...

YEAH LGHTN UP RNLD

[CNVRTD USNG TXTSPEAK]

Anonymous said...

Yawn, another media beat-up. How many years have we heard this story?

In reality, the NZQA has no policy on text-speak. The real problem is that the teaching of spelling is lacklustre, and in almost all subjects, students will not lose marks for poor spelling and grammar. They are marked on the content rather than the presentation of their answers, even when the spelling and grammar is atrocious. That's the source of the low standards, and it goes far deeper than the mythical text-speak policy.w