Speaking and listening skills essential - Teather

4.44.12pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 4th Oct 2006

Commenting on I CAN's report today showing half of children are unable to speak properly when they start school, Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary, Sarah Teather MP said:

"I CAN are absolutely right to highlight the fact that speaking and listening skills are being neglected in schools.

"The Liberal Democrat 4Rs commission was set up to encourage innovative thinking on primary education with a specific focus on speaking and listening skills.

"Soft skills are under-valued, if not ignored, in our education system - yet anyone who has ever interviewed a potential employee knows the importance of good presentation, self confidence and articulation.

"Such skills are often seen as a proxy for being 'middle class'. Yet without addressing these language skills with our youngest pupils we're missing a key step to improving literacy as well."

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