Face Off: Should schools continue to teach penmanship in the digital age?

Penmanship, the art and skill of writing by hand, has developed over thousands of years. Because of rapid technological advancements, it makes sense for a school curriculum to adapt. However, this may mean specific “outdated” skills, like penmanship, could become obsolete.

Although complicated handwriting like cursive may not be essential in school, basic print writing, or block letters, are used to teach most subjects. Pressing buttons on a keyboard may put together intended words, but it will not teach you how to write out the actual letters.

The exams that Hong Kong students take in their final year of school, whether the Diploma of Secondary Education or the International Baccalaureate, must be handwritten. Most students will not have the choice to use a computer in demanding moments like these, so schools must teach them good handwriting skills.

Writing by hand is not only a requirement for most exams but also a fundamental skill for most popular fields and everyday tasks. For instance, writing prescriptions as a doctor, taking notes as a reporter or marking papers as a teacher all require motor memory and speed, which are honed through the practice students receive.

Although many adolescents may prefer typing due to its speed, studies have shown that it is far less stimulating for the brain.

According to Dr Sophia Vinci-Booher, an assistant professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt University, writing by hand engages more brain power than typing. This is because your brain has to constantly process letters you mark down as soon as they are formed.

Research also shows handwriting boosts links across brain regions, including memory and processing power. This means when taking notes and preparing for tests, writing by hand engages your fine motor skills and helps you recall information better than typing, according to an article in Science News Explores.

Computers are not going away any time soon, so typing should be taught and learned. However, writing by hand is something younger people may not choose to master voluntarily. That is why schools must continue teaching penmanship alongside typing and digital skills.

Students may ultimately prefer one over the other, but they should be given a chance to make that choice.

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With technology’s rise, many schools have adopted computers and tablets. Mine, for example, has fallen into the trend, and we primarily work on laptops. Because of this, students – and society as a whole – type more and write by hand less.

It raises the question, do we need to continue teaching penmanship at schools?

A key part of penmanship is cursive. Students learn cursive during their fundamental years, spending hours practising the way they write instead of gaining insight into the topics they are writing about.

For younger children, whose fine motor skills are still developing, learning how to write in cursive is very difficult. Focusing on writing in a rigid and strict form stops children from developing their handwriting naturally and makes writing a hassle.

The time dedicated to teaching penmanship at school could be used for other, more relevant topics and pressing issues, such as climate change or current affairs.

Cursive, in particular, is irrelevant and should be phased out to make space for more important subjects. Handwriting is a rarity, and print-style text is more prevalent within penmanship. Given the rise of computers, typing is used more often in our day-to-day.

So, why should we still teach a fancy form of handwriting when no one is writing in the first place, let alone in cursive?

Additionally, with printed text being more commonplace, only some people can read cursive, which is often messy. Typing is simply more convenient and efficient.

It is not like schools are afraid to stop teaching subjects once they become obsolete. It is hard to find a school that teaches students to use typewriters or floppy disks today. Most readers probably have no idea what those devices are and would likely be surprised at them being included in a school lesson.

Now that writing by hand is irrelevant and there are more crucial digital skills to learn, it makes sense for schools to allocate their limited time, money and resources elsewhere.

In conclusion, I believe that penmanship is outdated, obsolete and excessive. We should redirect our limited time in school towards more critical and essential matters, adapting our curriculum to include newer subjects and skills that have become more commonplace.