School bans red ink - and tells teachers to mark in green instead (and get pupils to respond in purple)

Teachers at Mounts Bay Academy near Penzance, Cornwall, told red is a 'very negative colour'

System is designed to encourage dialogue between teachers and pupils

Vice principal Jennie Hick said: 'Switching to the new marking system is certainly not about us going all soft and fuzzy'



A school has banned teachers from marking in red pen because is it judged a ‘very negative colour’.



Teachers at Mounts Bay Academy near Penzance, Cornwall, have reportedly been told to use green pens instead.



Pupils, meanwhile, are being asked to comment on marking using purple pens.

A school has banned teachers from using red ink to mark students' work because it is a 'very negative colour'

According to The Cornishman, the new system is designed to encourage dialogue between teachers and students.



‘Switching to the new marking system is certainly not about us going all soft and fuzzy,' vice principal Jennie Hick told the paper.

She said that the system will see teachers make ‘two or three positive comments’ about homework.



It is hoped this will encourage pupils to not just look for their overall marks, but get them to respond with comments of their own.

'Switching to the new marking system is certainly not about us going all soft and fuzzy,' Mounts Bay vice principal Jennie Hick said

She told the paper: ‘I think it was felt that red ink was a very negative colour.’



However, Campaign for Real Education chairman Chris McGovern told the paper that, in fact, students prefer red ink because it makes comments easier to read.

