Via Language Log (which I am not keeping up to date with), There is an article in The Australian about teaching and grammar.

And it makes me flash back to Grade 5, and an argument with my teacher about grammar. She explained that 'but' and 'and' are "joining words". And that you can't start a sentence with a joining word. That argument has stayed with me ever since. I won, she hated me, and I have noticed that I just love to start sentences with joining words. In my defense, I like to say that anyone who can't have a thought longer than a single sentence is retarded.

I guess that calling people retards isn't really a defense. My defense is that I'm right.

The article also makes me recall that I am vaguely annoyed that "joining words" were the extent of grammar throughout school. So I don't count it as even being taught, and I know that (while I'm good at writing) I couldn't explain what part of sentences are exactly which grammatical... thing.

Anyway. I reached 'absolutely APPALLED', when this education person rebutted the criticism of her grammar by saying the other side was not using standard grammar, but a fanciful "Cambridge Grammar". She seems to think it's like pig-latin. I am pretty sure it is the world's leading authority on grammar. Like the Oxford Dictionary.