By Gavin Mackintosh
UK primary school students lack letter writing skills, a deficiency widespread among many primary schools.
Out of twenty schools researched by The Eye Of Media.Com, only three schools produced up to 5% of students assessed who were able to demonstrate decent letter writing skills.
Some of the schools with children who had poor writing skills showed impressive development in other areas like reading and maths, but very few could compose a good letter to a real or fictitious friend abroad , telling them about life in England .
TARGET
The targeted age range of UK pupils selected by The Eye Of Media.Com were ages between 8 and 10, and most could not construct an average letter expressing their thoughts well. None of the schools researched were private primary schools, and the number of UK schools examined in this area is admittedly insufficient. It will be widened in 2018.
Some critics might be quick to say that primary school children are still young, but catching them when they are young is always the key. Good teaching exemplifying a range of good sample letters is imperative for children in primary school, if we are to give them a good start for secondary education.
TEACHING
Our research also suggests that many primary schools in the UK do not actively try to teach their pupils good letter writing skills. A brief reference to countries abroad suggests that letter writing skills is more actively taught in public primary schools in China, India, South Africa, Ghana, and some parts of America, than in the UK.
There will be primary schools in each of those countries that are inferior to UK primary schools all round, but there are a lot more primary schools ahead in these areas. However, since the standard of Sats exams was raised in the UK, standards are progressively rising in many UK primary schools. Ofsted are also frequently checking. Letter writing is one area Ofsted may have missed, and we will bring this to their attention.
The quality of the letter writing skills taught in those countries have not yet been independently verified by The Eye Of Media.Com but is on the cards for next year. The fact letter writing skills are being taught in those countries does not prove it is taught brilliantly or at a good standard, but it can be assumed that if the effort is being made in those countries, that is a great start.
Many Uk Primary school teachers are unfortunately too relaxed without the right level of drive to push their pupils and and teach them well and in an exciting way. With English being the first language of most British children, the UK needs to lead the way when it comes to primary and secondary education.
Britain leads the way when it comes to University education because our best Universities is filled with students with a superb private primary and secondary school education.
BEST
Britain’s private secondary school education is among the world’s best; a glance of some of the curriculum says it all. Those of us who honed in a private school education in the UK know how high the standards were, and the level of dedication its success calls for. The high fee costs invokes compulsive levels of high work ethics absent in many public secondary schools.
Exceptions are not that few within the confines of public education in the UK, but the wide gulf between teaching and studying habits between private and public primary and secondary schools by en large needs to be closed .
If every child who leaves primary school is taught to write a letter at a reasonable high standard, it will guarantee more interest and progress in their secondary years, even for those in public schools.