It has long been a painful rite of passage for German schoolchildren - learning "die Schreibschrift", a fiddly form of joined-up handwriting all pupils are expected to have mastered by the time they leave primary school.But now, many German teachers have had enough, insisting it is a waste of time to force children to learn a cursive script when they have already learned to print letters at kindergarten. Furthermore, they say, the joined-up handwriting is often illegible.The national primary schoolteachers' union has started a campaign to abolish compulsory teaching of Schreibschrift. "It's completely unnecessary, a deadweight tradition," according to the union's deputy chairman, Ulrich Hecker.
It has long been a painful rite of passage for German schoolchildren - learning "die Schreibschrift", a fiddly form of joined-up handwriting all pupils are expected to have mastered by the time they leave primary school.
But now, many German teachers have had enough, insisting it is a waste of time to force children to learn a cursive script when they have already learned to print letters at kindergarten. Furthermore, they say, the joined-up handwriting is often illegible.
The national primary schoolteachers' union has started a campaign to abolish compulsory teaching of Schreibschrift. "It's completely unnecessary, a deadweight tradition," according to the union's deputy chairman, Ulrich Hecker.
Seems like an admission of incompetence on the part of the teachers, no? Since they are unable to teach the kids how to write longhand, they now say that longhand is not required.
On the other hand, I don't write anything any more. I scribbled down two numbers yesterday, but even that is unusual.
Cursive or otherwise
Even I struggle to read it, let alone anyone else. keep to the Fen Causeway
