Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Head bans Fountain Pens

Headmaster Jack Williams of Hillcrest Grammar School in Stockport has banned the use of fountain pens by Year 11 pupils as he claims that the exam boards insist on black ballpoint pen being used for exams, because they scan the papers and send them out to be marked. (Hopefully by people who can speak English). Therefore he reckons that the kids should get used to writing in ballpoint pen.

I'm not so sure about this, as any scanner is perfectly capable of copying black or blue fountain pen ink. Maybe he's just after a bit of publicity for his school.

Anyway, it just goes to show that all in all, you're just another Bic in the wall...


1 comment:

Mosher said...

I've seen loads of forms over the last few years that state quite specifically that they must be filled in with a ball point pen - some as far as to state it my be black. Hell, I recall once being handed a form back to re-fill as I'd done it in blue.

I'd not be surprised if this same restriction has been put on exam papers. While the head could have queried this, or ignored it I don't think you can blame him for following the instructions and then making sure that kids are better prepared.

After all, what kind of publicity is something where the news story states that parents *aren't* happy?