Commcat,
I am not of the "if-you-make-one-mistake-then-the-paper-gets-a-failing-mark" school, but I am also not of the school which says that it's OK for those postgrads and PhDs to make common mistakes again and again when they are teaching my children how to read and write. The fact that they got that far while not knowing how to write using the basic rules of grammar does not reflect well on the system which got them there, and just because they now have the 'qualification' does not excuse it. The fact that they care enough to correct themselves is good. It would be better if they were embarrassed about the mistake. Your comment on lack of reading comprehension ability is a perfect example of the problem. The only reason that occurs is that we as a society have allowed that to happen. In my preferred incarnation, those 'qualified' people with those weaknesses in their field would not have gotten qualified in the first place.
Should we revert to a standard of perfection in usage? I too think it is impractical to expect 100% take-up. However, to dismiss 'proper grammatical usage' as an appropriate target is a great mistake. I too believe the emphasis on perfect grammar and perfect punctuation is on the wane. That does not mean that I find that situation desirable, or laudable. On the contrary, I find that being accepting of a decline in standards is symptomatic of America's issues. We are gradually losing our ability to communicate difficult ideas well to each other, and because it takes effort and humility to bring ourselves back to that table, we are saying it is not important to be at that table. Instead, we spend our free time at the mall for our entertainment and watching Jon Stewart, Jim Cramer, and SNL for our news. Or is it the other way around...?
I am not of the "if-you-make-one-mistake-then-the-paper-gets-a-failing-mark" school, but I am also not of the school which says that it's OK for those postgrads and PhDs to make common mistakes again and again when they are teaching my children how to read and write. The fact that they got that far while not knowing how to write using the basic rules of grammar does not reflect well on the system which got them there, and just because they now have the 'qualification' does not excuse it. The fact that they care enough to correct themselves is good. It would be better if they were embarrassed about the mistake. Your comment on lack of reading comprehension ability is a perfect example of the problem. The only reason that occurs is that we as a society have allowed that to happen. In my preferred incarnation, those 'qualified' people with those weaknesses in their field would not have gotten qualified in the first place.
Should we revert to a standard of perfection in usage? I too think it is impractical to expect 100% take-up. However, to dismiss 'proper grammatical usage' as an appropriate target is a great mistake. I too believe the emphasis on perfect grammar and perfect punctuation is on the wane. That does not mean that I find that situation desirable, or laudable. On the contrary, I find that being accepting of a decline in standards is symptomatic of America's issues. We are gradually losing our ability to communicate difficult ideas well to each other, and because it takes effort and humility to bring ourselves back to that table, we are saying it is not important to be at that table. Instead, we spend our free time at the mall for our entertainment and watching Jon Stewart, Jim Cramer, and SNL for our news. Or is it the other way around...?