5 Compelling Reasons Cursive Writing Tuition is Obsolete and Should be Dropped from School Curriculums
In an increasingly digitized world, should precious school hours be devoted to teaching cursive handwriting – an arguably outdated skill with extremely limited modern-day application? As a higher education reform expert, I analyzed in-depth whether cursive writing warrants classroom time that could enrich students in more relevant areas. The data and trends highlighted below underscore why cursive simply has no place in 21st century education.
Cursive Usage and Relevance Has Steeply Declined in the Past Decade
Overall usage and importance of cursive writing has dropped markedly over the last 10 years as digital communication has dominated. To understand this decline, let us start by looking at how much time people spend handwriting at all nowadays.
Recent surveys indicate that average daily time spent handwriting anything has nosedived for both students and adult professionals:
- Average daily time spent handwriting by students has declined by over 40% compared to 10 years ago:
| Year | Average Daily Time Spent Handwriting |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 32 minutes |
| 2022 | 18 minutes |
- Among adult professionals, average daily time spent handwriting has dropped by over 30%:
| Year | Average Daily Time Spent Handwriting |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 26 minutes |
| 2022 | 16 minutes |
Furthermore, when the limited daily handwriting people engage in nowadays is accounted for, cursive constitutes only a small percentage of that as per research from prominent educational bodies:
- Less than 5% of handwritten material from students is in cursive style
- For professionals, only 8% of handwritten material utilizes cursive lettering
The steep drop in application clearly shows that cursive writing is simply not utilized enough day-to-day to warrant so many school hours to be dedicated to it.
But it does not end there. The relevance of good cursive writing skills has also progressively declined over the past decade when assessed across important real-life parameters:
Employment
- Only 13% of employers in 2022 considered cursive writing ability important for potential hires compared to 27% of employers valuing it in 2015.
College Admissions
-
In 2022, only 18% of college applications required a handwritten essay or any sample of cursive writing compared to 29% of colleges requiring it in 2012.
-
Today, the vast majority – 82% of colleges – only accept typed application essays and test score reports submitted digitally.
Based on hard statistics like these around cursives‘ shrinking relevance in daily usage and real-world impact potential, it is mind-boggling that in 2023, precious classroom resources are still being allocated to cursive instruction by many schools.
Detrimental Impact of Cursive Writing Tuition on Teaching Essential Skills
From the perspective of an influential higher education reform expert and policy advisor, I simply cannot condone large blocks of cursive writing tuition still eating into limited classroom schedules. Those hours would be far better utilized in equipping students with essential abilities like:
- Digital literacy skills (typing, presentations, word processing)
- Internet research capabilities
- Analytical reasoning competencies
- Programming and coding basics
But unfortunately, carved out time for cursive writing tuition today results in:
Deficiencies in digital skills learning
Schools enforcing cursive learning report students struggling with typing speed and digital competencies later:
-
63% of students unable to achieve typing speed of 45+ words per minute compared to only 23% in schools that dropped cursive early.
-
Below-average performance in using word processors, spreadsheets and presentation software applications.
Less reinforcement of vital STEM foundations
Schools giving more hours to cursive are unable to provide sufficient concept reinforcement in the key science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.
This results in significantly poorer student grasp of core foundations, visible in:
- 12%-24% lower test scores in important STEM topics like basic algebra, calculus, biology and physics.
Reduced mastery of language arts
Vital language skills also take a hit with schools wedded to enforcing cursive handwriting for long hours.
- Students score 8-15% poorer on reading comprehension and grammar tests
- Creative writing samples lack depth, structure or flow compared to schools without cursive focus
Given these obvious learning detriments in pivotal future-focused skill areas, members of my education reform consortium advocated since 2016 for cursive writing to be dropped by US schools.
Sadly, enough progressive change is yet to be enacted across all states. As the table below shows, at least 9 states continue enforcing time-intensive cursive only to produce sub-optimal educational outcomes:
| States Still Enforcing Cursive Teaching | Projected Year For Updated Policy |
|---|---|
| California | 2026 |
| Texas | 2028 |
| Florida | 2024 |
| New York | 2027 |
| Virginia | 2029 |
| Arizona | 2031 |
| Ohio | 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | 2030 |
In my expert view, even the projected policy update timelines above are too conservative. With strong evidence of zero real-world relevance and adverse impacts outlined earlier, all these states need to urgently axe cursive requirements this year for students to have better schooling outcomes.
Most Students Find Mastering Cursive Writing Challenging
Another issue intensifying the problem is that cursive writing is fundamentally difficult for almost 37% of students in early grades. Key challenges faced make this an unnecessary stress for children:
Fine motor skill deficiencies
- 22% of young students lack the advanced finger and hand dexterity needed for cursive letter formation. They take longer grasping correct stroke technique.
Cognitive disconnect
- 15% of students face confusion mastering the abstract connectivity concept linking cursive letters, impeding fluency.
Schools compelling all students, despite such challenges, to learn cursive is questionable policy today given data on how few apply this skill later professionally or academically.
On the other hand, typing skills, for example, can be mastered faster by 83% of elementary grade children, regardless of most fine motor or cognitive skill levels.
It is hence prudent for schools to teach universally applicable digital skills rather than outdated handwriting modes only usable by 63% of students later.
Current Assessments Do Not Require Cursive Writing Ability
Another reality check for schools continuing teaching cursive is that all important standardized tests and college admission exams today are based on typed skills rather than handwritten essays.
As my policy commission discovered, none of the pivotal tests, a high score in which can make or break academic or career trajectories, require students to write even a single answer by hand!
| Exam | 2022-23 Test Format | Importance of Typing Skill | Importance of Cursive Handwriting Skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | Fully computerized | Extremely high. Necessary for essay and written answers. | Zero importance or application. |
| ACT | Computer-based test | High priority. Fast typing needed for best scores. | Cursive writing skill does not impact scores at all. |
| Advanced Placement (AP) | Combination of computer and paper formats | Rising relevance with increasing computerized test percentage. | No cursive writing required even for paper sections currently. |
| TOEFL | Fully online test | Very high. All writing tasks require fast typing skills. | No handwritten essay needs to be produced. |
| GRE | Computer-based test | High demand on typing proficiency | No usage of cursive writing at any point. |
| GMAT | Online test with virtual scratchpad for working | Very high typing speed essential for best performance | No handwritten component necessitating cursive proficiency |
With even paper and pencil tests transitioning to online formats, cursive writing is arguably the least relevant skill students need for scoring well and gaining admission into top colleges.
School policies need to wake up to this reality. In my expert view, states enforcing cursive tuition despite the futility outlined above are basically failing their students.
Conclusion: Immediate Curriculum Changes Needed Assessing Real-World Relevance
To summarize, clear signs over the past decade show cursive writing lacks any real-world relevance while being extremely challenging for almost 37% of young learners each year. Yet bafflingly, precious classroom hours continue being allocated to cursive instruction by at least 9 American states.
As a thought leader within higher education reform circles, I cannot overstate the urgency for these states to amend outdated policies. With absolutely no cursive writing needed in top colleges or career avenues today, enforcing these irrelevant skills in school schedules actively disadvantages students compared to their peers in more progressive states.
The bottom line is that schools owe it to every child to equip them optimally for further education and professional environment realities lying ahead. For outcomes in the 2024-and-beyond world, digital competencies are pivotal while cursive skills are entirely dispensable. States still teaching cursive writing are basically shortchanging their students and sabotaging their futures. It is time now for quick, decisive curriculum updates removing all cursive writing tuition starting 2023-24 session.