Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (
More info?)
"Miss Perspicacia Tick" <test@test.com> wrote in message
news:WElxe.1019$kS7.870@fe01.ams...
> Steve Shattuck wrote:
>> "PUZZLED JON!" <PUZZLEDJON@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:6184903D-A6DF-4D5E-8DA1-521A6C7D0D60@microsoft.com...
>>
>>> i am a student at the university of leicester, england. ive heard
>>> there are discounted versions of windows xp proffesional upgrade
>>> available for students
>>> in higher education. where are the best places to obtain this from,
>>> as it is
>>> confusing finding the right product. and what does microsoft have to
>>> do with
>>> the studentoptions.com site which sells this as a download. im not
>>> sure if it
>>> is practical to download a copy of windows?any advice greatly
>>> appreciated!
>>
>> Given the punctuation in this message, we can fully understand why
>> things are so challenging in England. Do they teach you this is
>> school, or are you just so lazy that you can't be bothered?
>
> I'm afraid, Steve, that this is just about the level of school-leavers
> these days. When I was at school, all exams that involved any amount of
> writing (be it English, science, history, geography, whatever) carried a
> certain amount of marks for accurate spelling, grammar, punctuation and
> sentence construction. Therefore, we /knew/ we had to be accurate as it
> could be the difference between passing and failure.
>
> These days, it would appear, that is no longer the case and students are
> leaving school almost completely illiterate. I read in the Telegraph
> educational supplement that one school (somewhere in either Birmingham or
> Manchester, IIRC) was even allowing students to turn in GCSE essays
> written almost entirely in what I would term 'text-talk' (aka SMS-speak).
> These are essays that are to count as 50% of their English (both language
> and literature) GCSE (or whatever it's called these days). The problem is
> that these essays aren't marked by an outside examiner, but by the Head of
> English.
>
> It's no wonder these kids are illiterate - they're being allowed to get
> away with it!
>
While I usually disagree with posts about grammar I must say that in this
case you are right. I can't imagine how someone could get to that level of
education with spelling and puctuation that bad.
Kerry