'IT'S ALL ABOUT NOT WANTING TO DISCOURAGE YOUNGSTERS IF THEIR WORK IS MARKED WRONG'

Teachers at a secondary school in London have been told they must not use red ink when marking homework in case it upsets pupils, The Telegraph reports. The move has been condemned as "political correctness gone wild", with ministers having to deny that the government issues any guidelines on the colour of teachers' pens. Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman took the matter to parliament after a teacher in his Harrow East constituency informed him the secondary school had banned staff from using red ink. "It sounds to me like some petty edict which is nonsense,” he said. “It is absolutely political correctness gone wild.”

Mr Blackman, who dismissed the move as being all about not wanting to upset youngsters, asked parliament whether the government makes rules which "prohibit or discourage the use of red ink for the purposes of marking or commenting on students’ schoolwork". Education minister Elizabeth Truss distanced the government from the policy. It is thought the policy was introduced by the head teacher instead. Blackman declined to name the school responsible but said he would be taking up the issue with the head teacher.

More
http://www.234globe.com/story/350/School+Tells+Teachers+to+Stop+Using+Red+Ink+for+Marking+in+Case+It+Upsets+Pupils.html