Oklahoma House passes bill requiring cursive in schools, awaits Senate's decision

A bill passed the state House on Wednesday that would require Oklahoma students to learn cursive.

"I think once we learn how to write in cursive, you can't not forget it. It's like riding a bicycle, you can't unlearn it," said Rep. Jason Lowe, the bill's author.

Lowe is hoping that's how much cursive will stick with Oklahoma students, should House Bill 3727 be signed into law. The bill requires each school district and charter school in Oklahoma to teach cursive for students in the third to fifth grade, starting in the next school year.

"Before I became a lawyer, I was actually a teacher, and when I taught the second grade, I realized that a lot of our kids in Oklahoma could not write in cursive. So I figured, 'Hey, we need to change that,'" he said.

Likewise, Lowe said it's just as important for kids to have the ability to read cursive, and in turn, be able to read historical documents.

"I've realized that all of our historical documents such as the declaration of independence is in cursive, and I think our kids should be able to read a historical document," he said.

Lowe said cursive currently not being required isn't gearing students best for success, as he said we shouldn't limit how much students learn.

"When I was a teacher, it was not a requirement, and it's unfortunate. Our kids need to learn cursive, they need to learn everything possible. Why limit their learning?" he asked.

https://okcfox.com/news/local/oklahoma-house-passes-bill-requiring-cursive-in-schools-awaits-senates-decision#