Literacy news
Undergraduates struggle to write essays
7 Mar 2012
Many undergraduates are struggling to show their natural flair after being ordered to write in a highly-structured way to pass exams, it was claimed.
Robert Tombs, professor of history at St John's College, Cambridge, warned that students were “drilled into writing” in a formulaic manner between the age of 11 and 18, leaving them unable to articulate their ideas on degree courses.
David Abulafia, professor of Mediterranean history at Gonville and Caius College, also told how extremely bright students were “grappling with difficulties” that “would have been inconceivable” in the past, even among their weakest classmates.
The comments – made at a seminar organised by the Politeia think tank – come amid growing concerns over levels of basic skills among school leavers.
A study last year suggested that almost half of employers were being forced to provide remedial lessons in the three-Rs because teenagers finish compulsory education lacking good levels of English and maths.
Read the full article at The Telegraph.
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