Thursday, June 13, 2019

Writing Story

I noticed this odd story coming up in the regional news of the Pfalz today.  There's a state effort going on by the coalition and the opposition parties....arguing that kid's writing in the state of the Pfalz....is marginally readable.

Yes, what the teachers are saying that the handwriting style is messed-up.  They are suggesting that roughly a third of all school kids in the state have what you'd call a 'fluid' style of handwriting.

The suggestion going on?  Mandating kids write in a particular style (the letters not connected)....yes, basically printing. 

Course, you'd have to mandate this and start it by the 1st grade and emphasize this over and over throughout the first couple of years. 

Affecting those in the age groups of twelve or more right now?  No....if you listen to the commentary, they are basically giving up on them, and they will go onto jobs in the Pfalz or the rest of Germany.....with limited writing skills.

One might go and laugh about this, but I've had to go on various occasions in the past thirty years to deal with business or government offices in Germany, and you often hope that they will just do a computer product and print the response out....rather than getting some written note from them. 

Getting political folks involved to respond to the issue?  Basically, they'd have to go and make a draft law up....get enough support for it, get it passed, and then mandate teachers have to do things in a certain way.....hoping no idiot challenges you in court. 

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