<p>If you thought that everybody studying at Oxford was bright, think again. Some students from the esteemed university are unable to spell “erupt” or “across” correctly, according to examiners’ reports.<br /></p>.<p>Some Oxford University students show a “distressing” grasp of their subjects and the answers to their final exams are often little better than A-level standard, the Daily Telegraph quoted their tutors as saying.<br /><br />Some are unable to spell words such as “erupt” or “across” correctly and give answers that show a “worrying degree of inaccuracy,” according to examiners’ reports seen by the newspaper.<br />Academics said a culture of box-ticking at A-level had left students with poor general knowledge and unable to think for themselves.<br /><br />“We encountered a distinct sense of undeveloped critical thought, first year level work, or at the lower end of the run, A-level-style responses: information dumped but not tackled,” an English examiner wrote.<br /><br />Examiners were delighted by some candidates, whose work was good enough to be published in academic journals. But they were scathing about large numbers whose answers were “dull”—or worse.<br /><br />Tutors in many subjects complained that students had failed to revise properly, and instead memorised old class essays and regurgitated them regardless of the question asked.<br />It was students’ “startling” abuse of English that shocked dons the most.<br /><br />Some could not spell “illuminate,” “bizarre,” “blur” “buries” or “possess” correctly, with tutors blaming a dependence on computer spell checkers.<br /><br />Handwriting was so poor that “scripts from dyslexic candidates proved a welcome relief because they were typed,” an examiner added.<br /><br />“Any Oxford tutor will tell you that the standards nowadays forthcoming from schools are appallingly low, and certainly much lower than a generation ago,” Professor Peter Oppenheimer, an emeritus professor at Christ Church college, said.</p>
<p>If you thought that everybody studying at Oxford was bright, think again. Some students from the esteemed university are unable to spell “erupt” or “across” correctly, according to examiners’ reports.<br /></p>.<p>Some Oxford University students show a “distressing” grasp of their subjects and the answers to their final exams are often little better than A-level standard, the Daily Telegraph quoted their tutors as saying.<br /><br />Some are unable to spell words such as “erupt” or “across” correctly and give answers that show a “worrying degree of inaccuracy,” according to examiners’ reports seen by the newspaper.<br />Academics said a culture of box-ticking at A-level had left students with poor general knowledge and unable to think for themselves.<br /><br />“We encountered a distinct sense of undeveloped critical thought, first year level work, or at the lower end of the run, A-level-style responses: information dumped but not tackled,” an English examiner wrote.<br /><br />Examiners were delighted by some candidates, whose work was good enough to be published in academic journals. But they were scathing about large numbers whose answers were “dull”—or worse.<br /><br />Tutors in many subjects complained that students had failed to revise properly, and instead memorised old class essays and regurgitated them regardless of the question asked.<br />It was students’ “startling” abuse of English that shocked dons the most.<br /><br />Some could not spell “illuminate,” “bizarre,” “blur” “buries” or “possess” correctly, with tutors blaming a dependence on computer spell checkers.<br /><br />Handwriting was so poor that “scripts from dyslexic candidates proved a welcome relief because they were typed,” an examiner added.<br /><br />“Any Oxford tutor will tell you that the standards nowadays forthcoming from schools are appallingly low, and certainly much lower than a generation ago,” Professor Peter Oppenheimer, an emeritus professor at Christ Church college, said.</p>