[BITList] Ee by gum and education

[John Feltham]

Hugh,

On 11/12/2011, at 2:41 AM, HUGH wrote:

> I joined in the other day, in response to a letter from some professor or other.  I append the letter I submitted - the version printed was 99.9% what I wrote - a couple of words omitted editorially.

And an excellent letter it is too.

The Townsville Bulletin used to be a popular place for my 'Letters to The Editor'.

On that page was a daily little bit of text to the effect that the newspaper reserved the right to edit or otherwise change any contributors letter.

After having some of my letters so much 'amended' that they whole meaning of my letter was changed, I then placed a paragraph at the beginning of all the letters that I sent in for publication that said…

No change was to be made to my letters unless they contacted me first and discussed any changes. I reserved the right NOT to have my letters published if they insisted on changes without my permission.

It worked a treat.

On the matter of 'rote learning'.  Aa you write, it became a big concern with me during the years that I was a teacher.

I tell people that I learned my maths tables by rote and I still know them. None of my grandchildren know their tables.

So, which is better?

As for spelling, what you describe has been going on for so long that now we have no teachers who know how to spell or that have any idea of punctuation.



ooroo



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