Dear Friends:
It is difficult to copy certain articles from the newspapers, print or on-line. So it has to be edited, say, for excluding the ads. The best way I think is to read them in the Google pages if it is too late to read the original.Here, I have dropped the picture altogether as it is not material to the text. This article is from the Telegraph UK this morning (06 03 2012). -bhuban Bright students are starting university University unable to structure an essay because of the ³damage´ caused by test-driven schooling, Cambridge academics warned on Monday. The demands of test-driv en schooling are eroding students' writing skills, according to Cambridge academics. By Graeme Paton (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/graeme-paton/) , Education Editor ) Many undergraduates are struggling to show their natural flair after being ordered to write in a highlystructured way to pass exams, it was claimed. Robert Tombs, professor of history at St John's College, Cambridge, warned that students were ³drilled into writing´ in a formulaic manner between the age of 11 and 18, leaving them unable to articulate their06/03/2012 Bright students 'cannot write essays', say Cambridge dons - Telegraph telegraph.co.uk/education/«/Bright-students-cannot-write-essays-say-Cambridge-dons.html 2/3 ideas on degree courses. David Abulafia, professor of Mediterranean history at Gonville and Caius College, also told how extremely bright students were ³grappling with difficulties´ that ³would 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. Too many students gaining A grades, top examiner admits (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9114278/Too-many-students-gaining-A-gradestop-examiner-admits.html) New A-level ranking system proposed in exams overhaul (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8824802/New-A-level-ranking-system-proposedin-exams-overhaul.html) A-level marking may be tougher next year (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6062684/A-levelsstandards-row-over-record-grades.html) Schools becoming 'exam factories' (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6546695/Schools-becomingexam-factories.html) Universities favour deprived students (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6265479/A-level-examsshould-be-earlier.html) Speaking at the seminar in central London, Prof Tombs said many undergraduates had been taught to write essays at school simply to pass tests. "One of the things that one notices in student essays is how much damage has been done by the imposition of artificial structures for essay writing,´ he sai _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
