For what it's worth...
On the subject of children and ability - my sons have always been encouraged to read - neither of them is particularly keen despite my buying adventure stories, comics and audio books. They'll come to it eventually I hope.
We have the grammar school system here but I didn't put them in for the dreaded test - mainly because they're twins and I didn't want to be faced with a dilemma if one passed and the other didn't. They'll both go to the local comprehensive.
In many respects I don't understand their reluctance to enjoy the written word...I was a teacher and now I lecture...in a university English department.

So onto students and exams.

The biggest problem, as I see it, is that at A level students are now allowed to take the text in to the examination hall with them. I believe that any scribblings in the margin of the text is also allowed.
When I took my A levels we had to memorise huge tracts of Shakespeare, Chaucer and the like. Even now when I teach this stuff I rely on the knowledge I picked up at 18!

All that said, I also know that my grasp of grammar, spelling, allusion, subtext and the rest of it has continued to improve over the years. I've still got some of my A level notes - my essays are littered with remarks about syntax from my (Oxbridge educated) teachers - I had no idea what the hell it was!
( chickenlady b3ta's very own Elizabeth Taylor, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 13:48, Reply)