By Gabrielle Dunlevy
December 03, 2008 12:54 pm
* Teachers told to “reconsider pen colour”
* Children might be offended by red
* Pictures: Evil red pens from The Courier-Mail
TEACHERS have been told to stop marking schoolchildren’s work with red pen because it is an “aggressive” colour.
Queensland’s Deputy Opposition Leader Mark McArdle told parliament today that teachers were being advised to reconsider their pen choice because it may offend children.
Mr McArdle tabled a Queensland Health document proposing “strategies for addressing mental health wellbeing in any classroom.”
It says: “Don’t mark in a red pen (which can be seen as aggressive)–use a different colour.”
“Given your 10-year-old Labor government presides over the lowest numeracy and literacy standards of any state in Australia, don’t you think it’s time we focused on classroom outcomes rather than these kooky, loony, loopy, lefty policies?” Mr McArdle asked.
Premier Anna Bligh called the question trivial at a time of “such economic peril.”