Excusing Stupidity

I remember how, years ago, they made excuses for spelling errors and referred to it as "creative" spelling. When will this latest dumbing down reach American schools, I wonder? This idiocy comes from England, and the headline says it all: "Unbeleivable*"

"BARMY education chiefs sparked outrage last night by banning one of the most important spelling rules in the English language. New government guidance says there is no point in teaching the 'i before e except after c' rule. Experts say there aren’t enough words in the English language which use the rule — so teaching it to pupils is pointless. Words like 'receive' 'conceive', 'deceive' and 'receipt' all use the rule. But a government document Support For Spelling, sent to all primaries in England, says: 'The i before e except after c rule is not worth teaching.'"