Am I just an old pedant or...........

[OldPedant54]

While searching for someone on Facebook, I stumbled across a profile of someone who described herself as "Vice Principle and head of English" (sic). This is so replete with irony that it is hard to know where to begin by way of comment. Is my pedantry getting the better of me or do our children deserve better?

That's pretty bad!

Yes it is. I was wondering whether to send her a flippant message asking of which vice she considers herself to be the embodiment!

It could just be her idea of a 'witticism'.

If not, she needs telling.

Sadly, I have the impression that this is not a 'witticism'.

There is no hope.

I work in a school. I signed out one day after the English teacher. Her reason for leaving school? Primery School Visit.

She wasn't happy when she found out I'd had a good laugh with the office staff over it and still blanks me 18 months on

For me this is the depressing point. As someone who clawed their way from a Secondary Modern "education" to a Masters degree via teacher training, it is hard see the profession made a laughing stock in this way. We are all fallible but this is such a poor reflection on teachers, teaching, educational recruitment and promotion etc., etc. It simply reinforces prevailing prejudices.

I blame typos and spell check.

Or people pretending to be what they aren't.

Don't get me started on "proffessional" in my table- mates' notes at one of our first PGCE lectures, or the "asatate" which another RQT ordered

I may be an old gimmer but at least I can spell!

Ah well, here's to old gimmers (whatever they may be!!). Too much depressing stuff for one evening - I'm signing off. Goodnight and thanks to all for your contributions.

At university I once had a conversation with someone who was training to be an English teacher (PGCE after English degree), where she said "I never understood apostrophes".

As a mathematician who can't spell and would regard myself as not very good at English, that was one thing I've not had any problems with, so I was just left with an open mouth, I couldn't think of anything polite to say.

Yes DeWee. It would be interesting to transpose your experience and consider a prospective maths teacher telling you "I never understood long division".

As a footnote to my first post I made a slight error in remembering what the profile said. Having looked at it again, it reads: "Assistant vice Principle, head of English". Of course, this makes it so much better (ahem).

Presumably, this person has gone through 11 years of compulsory education (latterly at a Grammar School, apparently), passed a GCSE in English, taken a further two years studying for A level English, followed (possibly) by four years studying for an English degree and a PGCE. This must have been followed by at least a few years teaching in English departments and now promotion to this elevated rank. In all this time, she has never learned the difference between "principle" and "principal" even when it is part of her job title. Even as a typo this is quite astonishing, bearing in mind her education, experience and role.

Finally, thanks to wtffgs above for extending my vocabulary. I was not familiar with the word "glimmer" until I read it in your post and looked it up. Maybe that's why I never was promoted to "Assistant vice Principle, head of English" (or should that be "Inglish"?)

Sorry, I meant "gimmer" but the spell check auto corrected it!

Our local primary had photos of all the 'govenors' beautifully displayed at the entrance. That and the utter mess of a prospectus they sent us were part of the reason my DCs didn't go there.

Nothing wrong with that Plum. It was obviously just a display of the members of Michael Gove's fan club!

I was dismayed to see a notice on the classroom door - Reminder - please bring swimming kit on Tuesday's

Playing devil's avocaat (deliberate misspelling!!) - maybe someone else has made the page for her and she's not seen it yet?

Do you know how much you hav outed someone here? And publicly laughing at a mistake? Maybe we should have access to all your work and laugh about it online?!

Point out the mistake to her, or anonymise your post. Anything else is bitchy.

It was obviously just a display of the members of Michael Gove's fan club!

The thing is, though, we have a whole generation who have gone through the education system as you describe, when spelling and grammar were neither taught or corrected. Or not consistently, anyway. I was berated by an English teacher when I expressed astonishment that she couldn't spell!! She told me you didn't need to be able to spell to be an English teacher.

And now that generation are teachers!

Honestly I wouldn't notice or care, it's a daft American name for senior school staff

No it's not Elephants.

That would be a Principal.

I know that, but I had to google to be sure.

I'm dyslexic and I really don't give a flying fuck about spelling mistakes of that sort. Noticing them is just a bit smug.

(Formerly OldPedant54) Holidaysarenice (above). Ok you make a good point and identifying details have been removed at my request. I am also looking at sensible ways to contact the person. Certainly, my own previous mistakes are legion and would make for a side-splitting joke book. However, my intention was not really to poke fun or rebuke. Rather, there is a serious point. It is simply to question the direction that education, particularly in English, has gone. Our mathematician friend DeeWee and the first part of my response are really at the heart of it.

Since the late 1970s governments of all shades have increasingly attempted to micromanage education with ill-judged initiatives in the guise of "raising standards" yet this is the place at which we have arrived - a person with overall responsibility for the literacy standards of a whole school who apparently cannot spell her own job. I just think it is sad that I hear and read things written by numerous foreigners who seem to have a much better grasp of our language than its native speakers.