Is handwriting losing its grip?
October 27, 2023

Believe me, the irony of typing this is not lost on me. But have you noticed how little we write now due to the prevalence of easier methods? Typing, voice-controlled mechanisms, smart screens and the list goes on … We have replaced writing in the many traditional roles it used to play and, as a result, are now faced with the prospect of losing the art of writing.

Personally, I cannot remember the last time I wrote a letter to a friend. Apart from the excuse letters I hurriedly pen for my children when they need to miss school or some activity or the other, I hardly pick up a pen to write. Typing is the easier option, and often even excuse messages are typed and sent via text message. And now, as schools transition to modern day trends even writing at exams is being phased out with typing being presented as an option at exams. Exam Boards such as Edexcel and Cambridge are allowing students to type certain subjects at their IGCSE and A Level Exams in order that students whose handwriting is not quite up to the mark will not be disadvantaged. Still, one cannot help but wonder: are we aggravating an already existing problem in the hope of eliminating it completely?

The history of writing

The first evidence of writing dates back to 3000 to 3500 years ago in Mesopotamia. It was in a place called Sumer in Mesopotamia that Sumerian script first began with basic materials such as clay tablets and reeds. The Egyptians too, began writing around the same time using hieroglyphics. Anyone who has learnt History as a subject at school knows that writing first began as pictures and then transitioned to symbols, a more refined script known as Cuneiform and then finally, letters as we know them today. Other forms of writing also surfaced at different stages in various civilizations such as in the Indus Valley with Indus Script, Chinese writing and Greek and Cretan scripts. 

Writing was an integral part of people’s lives as it allowed them to track their daily activities, help with agricultural needs and establish order, carry out transactions, identify days in the calendar, etc. Later, writing facilitated the establishment of laws and religious teachings, which became important to human development and morality. Historically, writing has been a benchmark for human progress as it demonstrated how our learning and skills became advanced through the ages.

Writing as an art

Learning to write using the traditional tools such as pencil and pen has been a part of many cultures and customs. To this day, the introduction of a toddler to formal education is celebrated in certain cultures by teaching the child to first hold a pencil and to allow their free hand to trace the shapes of letters. Will these little milestone events change in the future to include when a child first types a letter on the QWERTY keyboard, or when they first type a short text message? Surely, I hope not. The art of writing is a beautiful thing and the art of handwriting is even more so. There is certainly accomplishment worth celebrating in excellent penmanship and this is why there is still a demand for calligraphists across various industries from events to education and even graphic design.

However, let’s talk about our everyday penmanship. How many of us really work on this or think of it as important? Another bane of modern technology is that the younger generations do not think it is worth investing time in to work on their handwriting. Text messaging, emailing and typing have become the norm. Try teaching a child about the importance of writing neatly and clearly, and they will tell you that they don’t need to: no one actually writes anymore. Sadly, there is no counterargument to this in a world where even education is moving to the beat of technology.

The academic story

Ivy League universities like Cambridge grappled with this very decision a few years ago when they decided to allow students to type their exams because there was a ‘mismatch’ between reality and expectation. Students who typed their notes in class found it increasingly difficult to write their exams because they lacked practice and found it quicker and in their best interest to type. The decision was fueled by student scripts having to be centrally transcribed, meaning that answers that could not be deciphered due to illegible handwriting had to be read out loud by the students themselves before two university administrators, which was no doubt a time-consuming and bothersome task.

And now, as mentioned previously, this need for typing has trickled down to the secondary school system as well with IGCSE and A Level Exams slowly introducing typed exams. Pearson Edexcel says that in 2023, the number of students opting to type their exams doubled over the previous year. 

One of the catalysts for this is as evidenced with the Cambridge University example is that students have been turning in work with illegible handwriting, making marking an extremely time-consuming and arduous task for teachers and examiners. There is then, also the element of doubt involved as to whether the student did indeed write the correct answer but was deprived of their marks simply because their handwriting was illegible to the examiner. 

And certainly, onscreen assessments and exams have also paved the way for environmental consciousness with the need to use less paper for scripts. This is a plus point that cannot be denied. But the question remains as to whether we are willing to sacrifice the art of writing which has a long and beautiful history, because we are now being more mindful of the environment, among other things. 

Is there a solution?

Most definitely, yes. If illegible handwriting is a problem, then we need to fix it, at school, at home, wherever any education takes place. And yes, technology is now compelling us to type, but this does not mean we have to completely give up on writing and writing beautifully. If we do so, it is akin to saying now we have the ability to produce graphic design and art produced by Artificial Intelligence, so we should stop teaching people to draw and paint. Writing has cultural value. I believe that writing using a stylus even on smart screens, iPads, and so on will still work because we are keeping the cultural practice of writing alive. 

So, my firm conviction is this: handwriting is a skill. And if we start forgetting it, what a tragedy it will be for the Arts.

(Anouk De Silva)

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