The Civil Service College, which provides training to civil servants and the public sector, unveiled a new course programme last year: ‘Inclusive Writing’. Oh boy…
Civil servants could sign up for the £595 + VAT per day course to spend their time learning what words are “exclusionary” in a six hour programme to how to “eliminate bias” from all content:
“We’ve all become increasingly aware of the importance of language in creating inclusive and equitable work cultures. Words matter, and many words and phrases seem antiquated and even shocking today. Yet, modern-day professional vocabulary is still littered with exclusionary terms… you’ll consider debates such as people-first language in discussions of disability, what pronouns to use, and whether dictionaries really do know best. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore and shape your own views on what happens when a writer or editor uses features of regional or second-language varieties of English. There will be time to reflect on the extent to which society privileges some voices over others and, in doing so, turns these preferences into linguistic prejudice.”
Guido has always said that the public sector needs to do away with the dictionary. Apparently not…
The course has been quietly removed from the CSC’s website after only a year on offer. Is nature healing?
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”