Agroup of headteachers and educationalists who carried out a government-commissioned study on the testing of English primary school pupils noted how divisive the issue was. “Every proposal which enjoys any significant support from some respondents can prompt a negative reaction from others,” it said.
That was certainly true of one of their principal recommendations: that the government introduce grammar, spelling and punctuation tests where “there are clear ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers”. The tests began this week, amid continuing dissent.
Grammar excites many people and drives some mad. As the UK government study said, it tears educationalists apart. My recent column on the subject prompted a debate on the letters page over whether correct grammar was the key to human contentment. One reader said that without proper grammar “happiness is impossible”.