'Handwriting decline in West Midland schools is real, measurable, and alarming' - damning assessment from education expert
Where have our handwritten skills gone? Education consultant ROSHAN DOUG says it is time our children got handy with their pens
As we head towards the Christmas season, here’s a proposal worth percolating.
Step into many of our classrooms today and the problem is obvious.
Pens are gripped awkwardly, letters sprawl across pages, and handwriting is often unreadable. What used to be taken for granted – legible, fluent writing – is now the exception rather than the rule.
The decline is real, measurable, and alarming.
As you write your Christmas cards, it may be worth bearing in mind that handwriting isn’t just about neat loops and straight lines. It is a cognitive skill, tied to concentration, memory, and the organisation of thought. Research I published in a white paper almost 10 years ago, later appearing in a journal, shows that when handwriting weakens, so does thinking.
People of a certain age, particularly the post-war generation, had beautiful, disciplined handwriting. Every loop, every line, every stroke was formed with care. It indicated education, style, and sophistication.
