Public and private school teachers, principals making spelling mistakes

Despite the ubiquity of spell check programs, public school newsletters riddled with glaring errors are being sent out to parents. Private schools are little better. SYDNEY SCHOOLS REVEALED.

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School principals and teachers deserve an F for making a slew of spelling mistakes in newsletters and official communications.

Despite the ubiquity of spell check programs, public school newsletters riddled with glaring errors are being sent out to parents.

Private schools are little better, with elite schools ­including Knox Grammar, Presbyterian Ladies College and Loreto Normanhurst littering their websites with misspellings.

Just some of the mistakes found on school websites and newsletters.

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Education experts say some schools have started engaging professional editors to fix mistakes by teachers on school reports.

Bradfield Senior College, Australian Performing Arts Grammar School, Port Kembla Primary School and St Patrick’s College Sutherland all spelt the word separate incorrectly as “seperate” either on their websites or in school correspondence.

Knox Grammar which charges up to $31,170 for tuition wrote in its newsletter about a succesful (sic) team; Loreto Normanhurst charges parents up to $22,260 and referred to the lollypop, rather than lollipop, lady; while Presbyterian Ladies College which charges up to $34,080 wrote about its fourty (sic) six gymnasts.

Drummoyne Public School told parents about events that have occured (sic), Peakhurst High School wrote about knowlege ­instead of knowledge, while Winston Hills Public School misspelt calendar as calender more than once.

Knox Grammar School was one of a number of prestigious schools where spelling mistakes were found.

NSW NAPLAN results for spelling last year dropped a full percentage point, with 91.2 per cent of Year 9 students reaching the minimum standard.

Educational and Developmental Psychologist Dr Rose Cantali said it was ­important schools got the basics right because children needed to respect their schools and teachers.

“It is very unprofessional not to proofread, it is not ­acceptable at all,” she said.

Education expert Prof Kevin Donnelly said some schools could not spell because they were staffed by a generation of teachers who were not taught properly when they were at school.

Education expert Prof Kevin Donnelly said he even heard teachers having their reports edited by a professional sub-editor. Picture: David Geraghty

“Many of today’s teachers went through an education system where grammar, spelling, and punctuation wasn’t a focus and it has gotten worse ­because of the new technology,” he said. “I have heard of examples even worse — when teachers write reports they have to have them ­edited (by a professional sub-editor) because there are too many mistakes.”

The principal of Presbyterian Ladies College Dr Paul Burgis said despite the most assiduous editing, some mistakes slipped through.

“Whilst our texts are closely checked, just as the texts in the Telegraph are proofed, we do have the occasional mistake,” he said.

The Education Department said schools tried their best but errors occurred.