Finland scraps cursive writing lessons,sparking discussion over future of handwriting

[Oldandintheway]

Easy - the answer is - some knucklehead down here thought that Finland had a good idea?
My question is - why not teach both?

[cambrensis]

Perhaps they meant "cursing"?

[Anniemcc2]

The opening post is confusing enough... Why does what happens in Finland affect Australian schools??

I happen to read a lot of different news websites from around the world - and what happens in the Scandinavian education systems is often copied in the UK.

[squern]

Problem is, with typing and printing, you need to be carrying some sort of electronic machine ( or a manual typweriter).
With cursive (joined-up) writinng, you just need pencil.
A lot easier to carry.

This afternoon, I put the car in a car park, and fed some money into the ticket machine. The machine gobbled up some of it, without registering the total. I put in enough money to get a ticket, then wrote what had happened on the ticket, for the benefit of any passing warden.
I used a ballpoint pen, as unluckily I didn't happen to be carrying a printer or trypewriter.

I don't think the ticket (about 2" square), would have fitted in a printer, anyway.

Not all changes are for the better - and many should have been thought out a bit more thoroughly beforehand.

Remember the Sinclair C5 ?

[youmeus]

How do you sign a legal document if you don't know cursive?

This is part of the conversation I had with a 17 year old that was having trouble reading cursive and said she only printed. I thought anyone over 8-9 could read cursive but guess I am old fashioned.

[Anniemcc2]

How do you sign a legal document if you don't know cursive?

My thoughts also. Having seen so many young people 'print' rather than sign their signatures onto documents ................

BUT have you tried signing a PDA in receipt of a parcel? Lethal !

[tonyreddevil]

When In Top Class At Junior School I Came Third In The " Brook Bond" Cursary Writing Locally.

109 Out Probably 10,000 Nationally.

[cambrensis]

How do you sign a legal document if you don't know cursive?

It's very easy actually...you just make a cross and a literate witness writes: "Billy Bloggs, his mark" alongside it. It's called progress...