Why is calligraphy not taught in schools?

[Dann]

Calligraphy, in my mind, is the writing of those fancy, schmancy lettering schemes like you'd see in old Bibles and such .

You're absolutely right.

This is an example of calligraphy:

Now surely you people see the need for at least a few dedicated people to keep this art form alive?

 

[ummmm........]

But the OP is not arguing for a few dedicated practitioners; it's arguing for inclusion in the curriculum . . .

 

[Perfection]

Now surely you people see the need for at least a few dedicated people to keep this art form alive?

As long as they aren't me!

 

[Dann]

And here's some calligraphy from other parts of the world:

Islamic:

Indian:

Chinese:

Japanese:

Korean:

 

[bhsup]

You're absolutely right.
Now surely you people see the need for at least a few dedicated people to keep this art form alive?

Absolutely! Please don't take my use of the phrase "fancy schmancy" in a derogatory way towards calligraphy. It's a beautiful artform and I do certainly hope a few dedicated souls out there maintain it.

But the OP is not arguing for a few dedicated practitioners; it's arguing for inclusion in the curriculum . . .

No, I think the OP was using wrong terminology and is really referring for inclusion of penmanship in schools. I heartily endorse this.

 

[ummmm........]

I think the OP was arguing for the inclusion of calligraphy in the curriculum to improve penmanship.

Anyway, in response to Dann I'll say that I had a fraternity brother from Jordan, and he had the best handwriting I've seen. Literally to the point that I'd grab something he wrote and just stare at it for a few minutes . . .

 

[Dann]

Yoicks! Such gigantic images. Sorry about that.

Anyway my stance is that this art form must be kept alive, but to learn it best the learning process has to start early and so education has to start in primary school. Thus if one wishes to learn it it must start early, ergo it has to be included in the school curriculum, and not be a course in a professional trade school that one enters when already an adult.

However it is also accepted that few people nowadays will be interested in this stuff, and so a good compromise is to offer this, but make it elective and not shoved down student's throats. Thus only those very few dedicated and interested ones will choose to select this.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

I haven't had to read, write, or speak cursive since elementary school outside the letters that make up my signiture.

Good ridence.

 

[azzaman333]

Teaching me calligraphy/penmanship is an absolute waste of time. I'll write as illegably as I want dammit, and no crazy goofball teacher can stop me.

 

[JonnyB]

I WAS taught Calligraphy in high school, briefly. It was a small part of the drafting class for some reason. It seemed like a good way to waste time.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

Why is calligraphy not taught in schools?

But it IS taught in school - 1 year mandatory, second grade. And i hate it. I like my writing as ugly as it is now.

 

[Shaihulud]

I find that the key to a legible cursive writing is to make it big and exaggerated. Calligraphy was part of the art syllabus during my time despite us not being taught it and the art teacher having no idea about it, needless to say everyone passed it....

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

The only thing cursive is good for is endorsing checks, if you can sign your name, there is nothing else you need to know in cursive.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

I never learnt cursive.

 

[Murky]

I never learnt cursive.

Learning cursive hand writting is essentially just learning how to write in a alternate font by hand.

We can do this with word processors now so it has become less important.

 

[Bill3000]

Cursive is inherintly useless. Whether or not it writing is aesthetically appealing, outside of using it as an outform, is irrelevant. The purpose of writing is to convey meaning, and that only requires that the writing is legable. And not all people write more legibly in cursive than in print - such as me, for example. Besides, what other possible uses are there? Cursive isn't necessarily faster than print. Cursive is useless when dealing with mathematical formulas. Outside of mathematical formulas which might be easier to write on paper, there's no reason to not type, as typing is much easier and more legable than most forms of handwriting.

Calligraphy may indeed be an excellent art subject, but art is not required to understand a sentence.

 

[dutchfire]

Instead of learning everyone calligraphy, can't we just give them a laptop?

 

[TheBladeRoden]

Bah, calligraphy.

Printing press FTW!

 

[Chukchi Husky]

What's cursive?

 

[Masquerouge]

What's cursive?

Basically, it's handwriting not in capital letters.