Liberal Education

I don't get too involved with politics on this website. However, when a leaflet is put through my front door, it's fair game, political or otherwise.

Today's offering comes from the Liberal Democrat candidate Stephen Psallidas. I quote from his manifesto:

"LibDems would fund these big improvements to our childrens' education through an honest 1p income tax rise, if necessary. More and more people agree with us that decent publicly funded education is worth paying for.

Ironic isn't it? In a soundbite about education, the writer reveals his own lack of knowledge about punctuation. I knew, at the age of eight, that the correct possessive of children is children's! Mr Psallidas, according to his leaflet, is thirty.

This apostrophe error is not unique. I've seen the same problem on a sign in Asda. The problem is that the writer has tried to be too clever. They assumed that a plural noun always has the s' ending. However, this is not the case. If the plural form of the noun does not end in s, then the simple 's is used.

Mr Stephen Psallidas
14 Dilston Terrace
Newcastle
NE3 1XX

Dear Mr Psallidas,

Thank you for your leaflet, concerning your candidature in the forthcoming elections. I read much of what you had to say with interest. In particular, on the subject of education, I noticed the following quote:

I have a question for you. How can you expect to inspire confidence in your party's education policy, when you cannot use punctuation correctly? The word childrens' should be written children's. Do you think that the time has come for punctuation, once again, to be taught in schools?

I know it is only a small point, but so is the cross I decide to make on the ballot paper next month. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Ashley Frieze.