On October 29th, a BBC Radio Scotland program was running a competition in which people calling in were asked to spell ventriloquist and kibbutz (among other words, presumably); several callers with  older  voices'they certainly were not children'were unable to do so; does that mean that the Scots are to be excepted from the QES campaign  to compel all children to study formal grammar up to the age of 16  or that the rot set in long ago?
( ( ( ( ( ( ( On ( October 29th ) ) ( , ( ( a ( BBC ( Radio ( Scotland program ) ) ) ) ( was ( running ( ( a competition ) ( ( in which ) ( ( people ( calling in ) ) ( were ( asked ( to ( ( spell ( ( ventriloquist and ) kibbutz ) ) ( -LRB- ( ( among ( ( ( other words ) , ) presumably ) ) -RRB- ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ; ) ( ( ( several callers ) ( with ( ( older voices ) ( ` ( they ( certainly ( ( were not ) children ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ` ( were ( unable ( to ( do so ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ; ) ( ( does that ) ( mean ( ( ( that ( ( the Scots ) ( are ( to ( be ( ( excepted ( from ( the ( QES campaign ) ) ) ) ( to ( compel ( ( all children ) ( to ( ( ( study ( formal grammar ) ) up ) ( to ( ( the age ) ( of 16 ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) or ) ( that ( ( the rot ) ( ( set in ) ( long ago ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ? )
(ROOT (S (S (S (PP (IN On) (NP (NNP October) (CD 29th))) (, ,) (NP (DT a) (NNP BBC) (NNP Radio) (NNP Scotland) (NN program)) (VP (VBD was) (VP (VBG running) (NP (NP (DT a) (NN competition)) (SBAR (WHPP (IN in) (WHNP (WDT which))) (S (NP (NP (NNS people)) (VP (VBG calling) (PRT (RP in)))) (VP (VBD were) (VP (VBN asked) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB spell) (NP (NN ventriloquist) (CC and) (NN kibbutz)) (PRN (-LRB- -LRB-) (PP (IN among) (NP (NP (JJ other) (NNS words)) (, ,) (ADVP (RB presumably)))) (-RRB- -RRB-))))))))))))) (: ;) (S (NP (NP (JJ several) (NNS callers)) (PP (IN with) (NP (NP (JJR older) (NNS voices)) (`` `) (NX (S (NP (PRP they)) (ADVP (RB certainly)) (VP (VBD were) (RB not) (NP (NNS children)))))))) (`` `) (VP (VBD were) (ADJP (JJ unable) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB do) (ADVP (RB so))))))))) (: ;) (SQ (VBZ does) (NP (DT that)) (VP (VB mean) (SBAR (SBAR (IN that) (S (NP (DT the) (NNPS Scots)) (VP (VBP are) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB be) (VP (VBN excepted) (PP (IN from) (NP (DT the) (NNP QES) (NN campaign))) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB compel) (S (NP (DT all) (NNS children)) (VP (TO to) (VP (VB study) (NP (JJ formal) (NN grammar)) (PRT (RP up)) (PP (TO to) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN age)) (PP (IN of) (NP (CD 16)))))))))))))))))) (CC or) (SBAR (IN that) (S (NP (DT the) (NN rot)) (VP (VBD set) (PRT (RP in)) (ADVP (RB long) (RB ago)))))))) (. ?)))
The older Scots could spell al the words easily.
( ( The ( older Scots ) ) ( ( could ( spell ( ( al ( the words ) ) easily ) ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (DT The) (JJR older) (NNS Scots)) (VP (MD could) (VP (VB spell) (S (VP (VBG al) (NP (DT the) (NNS words)) (ADVP (RB easily)))))) (. .)))