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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Cursive writing may soon join the ranks of hieroglyphics as more influence is put on keyboarding in classrooms, rendering the old-fashioned script obsolete.

Chris Vaughn demonstrates his ability to write in cursive on Franklin Avenue Wednesday evening. Vaughn said schools in the Caribbean where he grew up enforced cursive writing, and he continues to use it. - Candace Thomson/NNSL photo Cursive, also known as script, joined-up writing, joint writing, running writing, or handwriting is any style of penmanship in which the symbols of the language are written in a conjoined and/or flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster.

The Globe and Mail reported in June that the Ontario education system had demoted cursive writing from being a mandatory part of English Language Arts, to an option for students to choose if they wanted.

News organizations in the United States also questioned the future of cursive after a witness in the high-profile murder trial of George Zimmerman stated to the court she could not read a letter because she couldn't read cursive.

Chris Vaughn, who moved to Yellowknife from the Caribbean and now works for Ecology North, said schools where he grew up heavily emphasized the use of cursive writing.

"I still use it today for probably 80 per cent of the writing I do for general notes and stuff," he said.

In the NWT, cursive writing is still considered part of the curriculum according to John Bowden, superintendent of learning for Yellowknife Catholic Schools. Both the private and public schools are bound to the same curriculum as decided by ECE.

"It's still a part of the curriculum, but the emphasis a teacher puts on cursive (as opposed to printing or keyboarding) may have changed," he said.

The change comes after increasing demands for students to graduate school as digitally literate and able to use computers, Bowden said.

In the NWT curriculum from kindergarten to Grade 6, as posted on the Department of Education, Culture and Employment's website, writing is noted as one of the six pillars of the English Language Arts program, but there is no direct mention of cursive writing.

Jennylyn Curato, who is starting Grade 12 in the fall at Sir John Franklin High School, said the last time she used cursive in class was last year, but that there was more influence put on it in elementary school.

"I still use it sometimes," she said, adding that she can read cursive writing as well as printed.

There is a debate amongst educators on the usefulness and future of cursive writing, according to Bowden, with one side considering it important and another saying it's obsolete.

"I'm of that school of thought that still believes it's important," he said. "I think we always need to be able to communicate in various circumstances, and we don't always have an iPhone or computer handy."

He also said there was a personal element to hand-writing that isn't found in e-mails or typed letters. He still has letters written in elaborate cursive script that his mother and grandmother wrote him.

"There is character and personality that are part of those handwriting samples that I have, especially now that they are no longer here."

As for the future of cursive writing, Bowden said he's not sure what will come of it.

"Is it a disappearing art form or is it something that will continue to be essential for ongoing communication, there's the question," he mused.

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