If oracy is to be given proper attention in schools (State schools should set up debating clubs, says senior Eton leader, 16 September) several things need fixing. In the kindergarten years (ages three to six) staff need to focus on children’s spoken language development, without feeling pressured to start teaching reading, unless the children show the inclination for it.
Then, in primary schools, oracy needs to be given equal status with literacy and numeracy, and not, as is too often the case, treated as part of literacy and subordinate to it. Speaking and listening skills are crucial and valuable in their own right, and not just as precursor to literacy. At secondary level, it is sad but true that curriculum areas are valued if they are assessed, otherwise they risk being sidelined or neglected.
