A new report out today reveals that more than a quarter of primary school pupils in the UK can’t join up a single word
The research, conducted by stationery brand Berol, as part of its Write Your Future campaign, surveyed both teachers and parents of primary school children to explore the attitudes towards handwriting in schools and at home. A third (36%) of teachers admitted that standards were slipping, and just 6% of pupils, according to their teachers, actually enjoy handwriting.
The results also showed that one in five children aged four to 11 can’t write in a straight line, while a further 17% can’t write a full sentence. One in five are unable to meet handwriting curriculum targets due to competing demands from other subjects, despite teachers believing that handwriting is a critical part of a child’s learning development, and 55% saying that practicing it makes children feel more confident. It’s believed the fact that the teaching of handwriting in schools is gradually becoming diminished is to blame, with a third of teachers spending less than 30 minutes teaching handwriting a week, compared to nearly half who spend four hours a week teaching maths. And at home, despite 94% of parents believing that handwriting is an important skill, they spend more time watching TV or reading with them than they do practicing handwriting. A quarter of those parents feel it’s because they lack the time or knowledge to help their child.
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