Cursive writing is no longer being practiced among students in New York and other states and lawmakers would like to change that by making handwriting lessons mandatory in schools.
In Albany, education board members expressed their concerns about the worsening problem in students' penmanship, citing that as kids rely on technology more these days, they don't even know how to sign their names properly.
"Not only is it sad, but it's a security issue," said assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, via New York Post.
Malliotakis related that she was helping students fill out registration forms when she noticed that some printed their names instead of signing. If this keeps up, students might also not be able to properly sign contracts, credit cards and checks in the future.
"Not only does it mean you can't sign a business contract, but it makes you vulnerable to identity theft because anyone can just go ahead and print your name," Malliotakis stated further.
Sen. LeRoy Comrie from Queens advised Malliotakis she would look into the matter.
In Washington, where cursive writing lessons have been replaced with Common Core, state lawmaker Sen. Pam Roach sponsored a bill that would make handwriting classes a requirement for students. The senator said she has been receiving complaints from parents about their children being unable to read letters from their grandparents. "Part of being an American is being able to read cursive writing," said Roach, according to KSAT.
Meanwhile, other states like North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, California, Georgia and Kansas made cursive lessons part of their curriculum this school year, while a school in Ohio made cursive writing part of art classes, according to IJ Review.
