Top UK university tells lecturers to ignore students' poor grammar in 'diversity and inclusion' drive

TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say One of the slides had the heading of equality, diversity and inclusion and said the university's new framework will focus on ideas, not grammar.Another recommended that tests should be culturally responsive and reward the use of culture, language and identity.Lecturers have said the move marked a dumbing down of the unviversity.One King's academic told the Daily Mail: This whole framework, dreamt up by middle management to justify their existence, is about sending a message about which side of the culture war the university is on.They seem to be claiming students are snowflakes and can't cope, but students have set up a petition against it.These young people are looking at the tough labour market and they haven't got time for all this.The academic said the drive was an attempt by the university's management to be down-with-the-kids - but they were getting it wrong.He feared a change in policy could open up university academics to challenges from students objecting to their grade on the basis that their culture and identity was not respected.Dr Edward Skidelsky, lecturer in philosophy at the University of Exeter and director of the Committee for Academic Freedom, also lamented the inclusive move.LATEST ON EDUCATION:British schools assigned up to £700,000 to support non-English speaking studentsTeachers’ union votes to oppose 'far-right Reform UK' and introduces 'anti-fascist' trainingTeachers left feeling ‘traumatised’ as union warns ‘masculinity crisis’ brewing in UK schoolsThese attempts to dumb down assessment in the name of 'inclusivity' are being pushed by university managers against the will of academics and students themselves, the best of whom hunger for an education that is deep and rigorous, he said.Separately, students were told some essays would be capped at 1,300 words - down from 2,000.The decision has seen backlash from undergraduates, who said the changes would not provide sufficient preparation for postgraduate life.They warn the reduced word count would make them less competitive than other students when applying for jobs, and would not allow them to engage as meaningfully with their subject.King's - where 41 per cent of undergraduates are black and minority ethnic students - has said it is committed to inclusion in it its official access plan.A spokesman for the university said: Standards at King's remain as high as ever.Our approach still includes rigorous exams, alongside other forms of assessment that help students build the practical skills employers are looking for.We have worked closely with students, alongside academic experts, to develop this approach so that our graduates are ready for the workplace - without compromising academic integrity. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter