Newly appointed Education Secretary Lucy Powell has faced criticism for spelling mistakes in a social media post following her appointment to the role.
Powell, who previously described primary school spelling tests as "ridiculous" and suggested they were used to "micro-manage" children, tweeted that she was "thrilled the be appointed Education Secretary." This comment drew criticism from Conservative opponents.
![New Education Secretary Lucy Powell – who once branded primary school spelling tests 'ridiculous' – has been mocked for her own spelling mistakes.]( "New Education Secretary Lucy Powell ')
Critics posted a corrected version of her tweet, highlighting a typo and questioning her grammar. The incident has brought renewed attention to Powell's past remarks made in a 2019 interview with Tes magazine. In that interview, she argued that pupils should not face failing grades in English, mathematics, or science due to minor spelling errors.
"It's gone too far with ridiculous Spag [spelling, punctuation and grammar] tests in primary schools or pupils failing exams if they spell a couple of things wrong," Powell stated at the time. She also commented on the pressure on teachers, saying, "If you're a teacher who is then being judged on the number of kids who pass a Spag test or a really hard new GCSE but you know that those kids aren't actually being fed properly or not being clothed, then it's not a great atmosphere, and it can feel a bit draconian."
Powell has also been a vocal proponent of changes regarding the tax status of fee-paying schools. She has advocated for ensuring that independent schools with charitable status should no longer benefit from tax breaks. Her party's government has implemented a VAT increase on school fees, a policy that has been followed by the closure of over 100 independent schools since its introduction.