Why teach punctuation?

Susan Pierotti, Creative Text Solutions People don’t use what they haven’t been taught to use. Chances are that your teacher didn’t give you good guidance on how to apply punctuation. Don’t blame your teachers – they probably weren’t taught either! Correct punctuation and spelling have been un-PC for a few decades now. So why do I rave on about it? You don’t have to be a punctuation guru to see the importance of good clear communication. So any device that allows that to happen is worth learning about. [caption id="attachment_252" align="alignright" width="105"] Punctuation guru?[/caption] However, sometimes people get lazy and go with the flow. Here’s a story from my city’s daily newspaper, reported by Steve Perkin: Apostrophe catastrophe at school ‘Apostrophes are either things you ignore or little things that drive you batty. Heidi…says she was never pedantic about apostrophes until her son brought home his weekly school newsletter which had the heading: “PRINCIPALS REPORT”. Discreet suggestions and emails to the principal were met with various reasons why no apostrophe was needed. These included the school principal believing that writing in capitals didn’t require apostrophes, a neighbouring school’s newsletter was also written in the same manner and nobody had complained, and that staff and school council members all agreed with the principal’s view. With perseverance, eventually the heading was changed to ‘Principal’s Report’. The neighbouring school also changed its newsletter. They were also quick to correct other wrongly placed apostrophes, such as: ‘Sport is on Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s’. Why teachers should be fussy  It’s not just in Australia that there are concerns. In an article from the Philippines, Rudolf Songcayawon gives encouragement to teachers about why teaching punctuation matters. Read here for the whole article: [caption id="attachment_22" align="alignright" width="150"] It's important to punctuate correctly.[/caption] http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/644543/correction-please In a nutshell, he says that care taken over teaching punctuation shows care for the student. School is usually the only place where punctuation will be learned. Students expect teachers to teach them what they need to know in the outside world. The art of constructing clear and meaningful communication in English will assist all students, especially in the areas of science, business and economics where precision matters. It’s also better to learn that details matter at school than in the competitive employment market. So teachers, have time and patience to correct all punctuation. It doesn't limit the students’ creative abilities but enables them to express themselves better. However, if you are unsure of what punctuation mark goes where, feel free to email me at susan@creativetext.com.au