Schools to teaching typing instead of longhand.
REMEMBER fussing endlessly over the neatness of your handwriting? Did your teacher or your parents constantly look over your shoulder, rapping you on the knuckles with a ruler when you forgot to cross the Ts and dot the Is, as it were?
Well, children of Finland rejoice. At least those who will be studying in 2016, that is. Savon Sanomat recently reported that such archaic skills are no longer needed. That’s right – cursive writing and calligraphy will not be taught at Finnish schools, replaced with the study of typing skills.
“Fluent typing skills are an important national competence,” the article quotes Minna Harmanen from the National Board of Education, which is currently in the process of finalising the guidelines for the new study of writing.
Acknowledging that waiving handwriting will be a major cultural transformation, Harmanen adds that teachers can still teach longhand if they so desire. Given the gradual, steady digitalisation of our former analogue world, it remains to be seen just how useful such skills will be. Unless, of course, you would like to make the best use of your new Digital Ink Pad.
SixDegrees
