While I generally agree with you...
I have two examples to prove it's not all going to the dogs...

Vampyrecat
Holy Gabrielle

Both are only 17 (according to their profiles), and their writing is witty, well composed and intelligent. I quite enjoy reading their entries, and Holy Gabrielle's story about Customers From Hell is still displayed in my friends work (he's a chef).

Plus, I'm 20, do I count as being a younger one?
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Wed 4 Feb 2009, 10:52, 3 replies)

While they certainly do write well, in good English
Neither of them are English, nor were they educated in Britain. Most of us here seem to be talking about British kids. These two just make us look worse!
( Scrumper, Wed 4 Feb 2009, 12:09, closed)

Ahem
Neither of them is English.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Wed 4 Feb 2009, 12:23, closed)

Sorry...
I was referring to b3ta, not england, hehe.
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Wed 4 Feb 2009, 14:08, closed)

I'm 18 and English (born and educated here)
And I like to think my posts are fairly well written... If not always interesting or relevant.
( MatJ LOOK, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 0:53, closed)

Wow
I'm honoured to be mentioned - even more honoured to hear about my writing being displayed.

In general I wouldn't say that the New Zealand education system puts a larger emphasis on coherency in writing - there's currently a move to allow "text speak" to be used in English exams to allow for the "evolution of the English language". I would say that my writing style and standards come from the fact that I've been an avid reader since I could pick up a book. My house is filled with thousands of books (4783 at last count) and so English has always been a part of my life. Having parents who emphasised the importance of coherency from a young age helped too. I don't think grammar like mine is at all common; in my English class last year (final year English), my classmates were hard-pressed to identify an adverb. Many of them still couldn't understand the difference between "their" and "they're". I've just never been able to stand speaking like an idiot - even when I text I use correct spelling and grammar, I don't abbreviate.

The teachers here in NZ do the best that they can to instill a sense of pride in one's work but there's only so much they can do. It's not a lack of teacher knowledge, it's the fact that students don't see it as an important thing to learn.
(Holy Gabrielle is Holy, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 2:52, closed)