Cursive writing is making a comeback in Ontario schools! If you’re reading this thinking “I never even knew it left”… it may be time to bust out the eye-cream, honey.

The Pulse Results (57 Votes) 📈

Side A 42.11% - Cursive writing is outdated and archaic, this energy needs to be focused elsewhere

Side B 57.89% - Cursive writing is a critical and fundamental life skill, it is about time they brought it back

^{Poll closed: June 30, 2023}

Cursive is making a comeback: Ontario to make learning script mandatory in school

Published on: June 22, 2023
Published by: CBC News 

Butterfly clips and platform sneakers aren’t the only 90s trends making a comeback recently… The Ontario government just announced that for the first time since becoming optional in 2006, cursive writing is being reintroduced as a mandatory part of the Ontario elementary school curriculum starting in September 2023.

The announcement has certainly received mixed reactions, with some people praising its cognitive benefits and its ability to connect children to previous generations (some kids today literally can’t read handwritten birthday cards from their grandparents), while others question its practicality and prioritization in the digital age (ChatGPT doesn’t care if you can read or write in cursive).

So, is reintroducing cursive writing the ‘write’ move? Or are there more modern skills we should be prioritizing? We’ll let you decide where you stand.

The Debate Showdown

Side A: Cursive writing is outdated and archaic, this energy needs to be focused elsewhere

• With the introduction of AI and tools like ChatGPT rapidly changing the world - we should be focusing on welcoming, not banning, this type of technology in our schools. It is the way of the future and these kids need to know how to use it properly, and to their full advantage.

• There are so many larger issues the government should be focusing on tackling like ensuring smaller classes, more one-on-one support with teachers, mental health support for students and staff, lunch programs and after-school programs for kids who need it … yet instead they choose to focus on CURSIVE WRITING.

• The government did not give the schools enough time to implement this. Teachers are scrambling to fit this into the curriculum for this coming fall; The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario President called it absurd to expect teachers to be ready and urged a two-year implementation period.

• Teaching kids cursive writing in this day and age is the equivalent of teaching kids long division after the introduction of calculators and smart phones… why? They will literally never use it. Cursive is just for signing signatures (of which most are digital nowadays anyways) and literally nothing else. Let cursive slowly phase out the way hieroglyphics did.
  

Side B: Cursive writing is a critical and fundamental life skill, it is about time they brought it back

• There are young adults today that literally can’t read letters or cards from their relatives, basic signage, and even menus at some restaurants… That's problematic to say the least. According to the NY Times, 37% of people world-wide use cursive and 55% use a hybrid of cursive… just because North Americans may not consider it valuable, doesn’t mean that the rest of the world doesn’t think otherwise.

• Cursive writing is more than just a writing technique - it activates parts of the brain that are beneficial to growing minds. Research has shown that cursive writing helps young people express themselves better, think more critically, it enhances their memory, and ultimately helps them communicate better.

• Cursive writing has been proven to be beneficial for students with learning or neurological disorders like dysgraphia or dyslexia; it improves fine motor skills, cognitive development, and reading abilities.

• Teaching cursive provides a multi-sensory learning experience, combining fine motor skills like hand-eye coordination, visual and tactile processes, and cognitive development. These are all real-life skills that AI can’t teach.

Previous Debate

Previous Pulse Results (45 Votes) 📈

Side A 68.89% - Bill C-18 is going to backfire on the Canadian government & news industry, they need Meta

Side B 31.11% - Meta has been profiting for way too long, it’s time to bring some of that $ back into Canada

Poll closed: June 28, 2023

Want to dive deeper?

• Cursive is making a comeback: Ontario to make learning script mandatory in school - CBC News

• Cursive writing is returning to Ontario schools — here's what experts say - Yahoo Life

• This MPP says Ontario’s decision to reintroduce cursive writing in schools is a distraction from ‘real’ issues - Now Toronto

• Cursive writing returning to Ontario schools this fall and people don’t know how to feel - BlogTO

• Should we bring cursive writing back to schools? - Maclean’s

• Ontario government brings back cursive writing, typing in schools - Western Standard

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