Cursed Cursive

The local newscast recently put up a viewers’ poll, asking the question, “Should chilren continue to be taught cursive writing in BC schools?” I didn’t see it, but Ter did, and her first thought was, if it has anything to do with spelling, you guys have failed!

Spelling should definitely stay in the curriculum, as should the mechanics of handwriting—both printing and cursive. While we’re at it, let’s insist on pushing the kids to do basic arithmetic in their heads instead of with a calculator, to colour with crayons instead of a mouse, and depend less on technology than on their own manual abilities. You might think that cursive writing is expendable, and maybe it is—or would be, if the aforementioned technology was more reliable, but one sizeable electro-magnetic pulse and we’ll be back in the Stone Age. The handwritten word will resume its status near the top of the communications food chain and how will the millennials survive if they can’t communicate without their devices?

The viewers’ poll resulted heavily in favour of keeping cursive in schools (evidence, perhaps, of the median age in their audience demographic), and it also reminded me—because I need more reminding as I get older—of my pledge to draft blog posts by hand.

One of my delaying tactics is my reluctance to boot and park in front of the computer. It’s a pretty weak excuse when I can curl up on the couch with a notebook on my knee (the original laptop) and scribble in ink until my hand cramps. Transcribing to screen is easier than drafting onscreen anyway.

My handwriting is harder to read, though.