Cursive is making a comeback. Relegated in 2006 to an optional piece of learning in Ontario elementary schools, cursive writing is set to return as a mandatory part of the curriculum starting in September.

  • It’s funny. I’ve had discussions with a lot of bitter people who complain about having been forced to learn cursive. I luckily really enjoyed calligraphy and cursive. It remains important in my field of work (STEM) to a certain extent.

    At the end of the day, I view cursive as a positive for many reasons: it is artistic, it teaches fine motor control, and despite changes in the way we work, handwriting remains important and useful in many areas of work.

    I see it the same way I see the importance of sketching and visualising. I expect most learned people to be able to take a pen and sketch or illustrate when needed. Cursive is just a vehicle for similar skills.

    Of course it needs to be balanced with the teaching of other subjects, but I do not think that school is lacking of time to teach subjects. There is plenty of time during childhood to learn skills. This is one such skill.