University tutors are being told not to dock marks for spelling mistakes because requiring good English could be seen as “homogenous north European, white, male, elite”.
Several universities are adopting “inclusive assessments” as part of an effort to narrow the attainment gap between white and black, Asian and minority ethnic students and to reduce higher dropout rates among those from poorer backgrounds.
Hull University has said it will “challenge the status quo” by dropping the requirement for a high level of technical proficiency in written and spoken English in some subjects, a requirement it described as white, male and elite.