“ILLITERATE LETTER”
MAGISTRATE CRITICAL PHONETIC PLAN BLAMED “This is a very illiterate letter, sir,” said the clerk of the Magistrate’s Court at Stratford when endeavouring to read a letter from a defendant in a maintenance matter. The clerk, Mr A. F. O. Clarke, had difficulty with the letter, and from his reading it seemed to the court that it was impossible to get the points the writer wished to make. “It is really extraordinary that the educational system of New Zealand cannot turn out better letter writers,” commented Mr Woodward. “In fact, it is deplorable.” “It is the phonetic system that is the trouble,” said Mr N. H. Moss. “They teach them to read with ‘aks’ and ‘buhs,’ but not to write.” “But a person who passes through the sixth standard, or even the fifth, the fourth or the third, should be able to write better than this. They should be able to construct decent sentences,” replied Mr Woodward. “It is amazing how many people write of letter to the court.” PE R IE N C E there n ot v c le~~ : ;: • - v
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Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21207, 2 September 1940, Page 4
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184“ILLITERATE LETTER” Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21207, 2 September 1940, Page 4
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