Finnish schools scrap cursive handwriting in favour of typing

(Charles Dickens' signature)

Schools in Finland are gradually phrasing out handwriting lessons for children in favour of skills that are more useful for the "job market".

Rather than cursive handwriting, the Guardian reports pupils will learn keyboard skills. Minna Harmanen of Finland’s National Board of Education told the paper "they don’t have time to become fast at cursive writing, so it’s not useful for them".

By next year pupils will only be taught print handwriting - and apparently parents are fine with the change. "We’ve hardly had any comments about the move from parents,” Harmanen added. "A few of the grandparents were upset, but everyone else seems fine."

Speaking to the BBC about the move, author Anne Trubek said cursive writing was a "smaller and smaller" part of our daily lives. "If we're choosing what to spend our valuable educational time on, with our children, it's right to have it become a smaller portion of the school day."

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