§ 11. Mr. MansTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what efforts are being made to improve standards of spelling in schools.
§ Mr. ForthWe are seeking to raise standards in all the basic language skills, including spelling, through the development of national curriculum English. Our proposals for revising the English Order, currently the subject of extensive consultation, give a strengthened emphasis to accurate spelling as one of the writing skills essential for the effective communication of meaning. To emphasise the importance of these skills, 5 per cent. of the marks in all GCSE written examinations are now allocated to spelling, punctuation and grammar.