Someone Please Tell Me This is a Joke

[Kwitko]

This can't be serious. Please tell me this is from The Onion, or SNL Weekend Update, or a horrible dream I had.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/11/11/nz.text.ap/index.html
New Zealand's high school students will be able to use "text-speak" -- the mobile phone text message language beloved of teenagers -- in national exams this year, officials said.

[MountainDew]

omg srsly?

what a horrible idea.

[profdlp]

I don't know about the state of the education system in New Zealand, but if this were in the US I would expect it to be true. For the most part, teachers really aren't too troubled by the fact that they are abetting a generation of illiterates.

On the bright side, it does make it easier to spot an intelligent person who has worked at their education, since they sure do stand out in the crowd.

[Nightwolf]

omgzorz gys, is not tht big 'f a dl.

[Datsun 1600]

That made it on the News here last night, they reckon it is part of the english language so it can be used. If I was marking the paper, an instant 'F', I wouldn't even try to understand what they were trying to say.

Illiteracy at it's finest, go New Zealand.

Datsun 1600

[Thrax]

I would fail them immediately. Education is supposed to prepare people for an increasingly-global community, which is <i>not</i> conducted via SMS.

On the other hand, all my managers TYPE LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!! when they are attempting to drive the point home. I want to shoot them through the internet, sometimes.

[profdlp]

But...but...what about their self-esteem? :(

(Which might survive High School intact, but would take a severe hit when they got their first job - working the drive-thru window at McDonalds, no doubt - and their boss told them to cut out the silly crap.) :vimp:

[Shalimar]

That made it on the News here last night, they reckon it is part of the english language so it can be used. If I was marking the paper, an instant 'F', I wouldn't even try to understand what they were trying to say.

Illiteracy at it's finest, go New Zealand.

Datsun 1600

I could not believe it either, i mean they have to be joking right!

Datsun 1600 echo's my sentiments exactly!

Later

PS: Sometimes i wonder if they would be better off with the sheep running the place! I mean they are the majority of the constituants.....

[Nosferatu]

I definitely agree with many here, instant F.

[muddocktor]

That is just plain ridiculous. Like others here, I would also throw and instant F on the test myself. I would not condone letting the children I would teach to grow up totally illiterate either. It's bad enough trying to figure out some of these things in forums, much less on a formal education test.

[Rambler Binx]

I'd give them an 'F' too :rarr:

[Thrax]

I'd give them an 'F' too :rarr:

Good to see you active again, Binx. :)

[Rambler Binx]

Good to see you active again, Binx. :)
I pop in and out :rarr:

[profdlp]

Pop on this! :rant:

(Private joke) ;)

[drasnor]

Reminds me of this (http://www.goodschools.com/essay.htm). A classic that reminds me of my days of writing crummy essays in wide-ruled composition books.

-drasnor :fold: