Teacher's fury over mis-spelt cards (From Stourbridge News)

Teacher's fury over mis-spelt cards

2:34pm Tuesday 2nd December 2008

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A STOURBRIDGE schoolteacher has hit out at a High Street store for selling kiddies' Christmas cards that she says give out the wrong message to youngsters learning to spell.

Marie Elcock, a supply teacher at Gig Mill Primary, bought a box of 30 RSPCA charity cards from Stourbridge’s Wilkinson’s store - which she was hoping to send to pupils.

But the meticulous ‘miss’ from Oldswinford was left reeling after she noticed the festive phrases printed on the cute cards had been spelt with back-to-front letters.

She told the News: “Just imagine if I’d sent them, with the letters e, y and s not formed correctly - it would have been horrific.

“We spend so much time encouraging children to write correctly and I just feel so angry that these have been printed.

“It’s giving out the wrong message to children, that incorrect letter formation is acceptable and cute. We shouldn’t be lowering our standards.”

She said she felt so outraged that she wrote out a letter to store bosses there and then, but so far has not received a response.

Mrs Elcock, a primary school teacher for more than 35 years, added: “The cards are still on the shelves. It’s no doubt a commercial decision for them, but if they had been printed with the words correctly written they would have sold a lot more.”

Stourbridge MP Lynda Waltho, herself a former teacher, said incorrect or modern casual spelling trends make it “very difficult” for teachers and parents trying to teach youngsters good English skills.

She said: “However sweet it may be I’m not in favour of it. As a parent and teacher I don’t think it’s helpful. I don’t even like text language.”

She said Wilkinson bosses had “probably not thought it through” when they decided to stock the cards.

A spokesman for the company said: “As a family retailer serving over four million customers a week, Wilkinson is always very concerned to hear of any problems customers may have had with any of our products.

"Our Christmas range is under review for 2009 and we will ensure that all customer feedback is incorporated.”

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