CHILDREN’S WRITING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 226, 22 August 1935, Page 11

CHILDREN’S WRITING.

BOARD CHAIRMAN’S VIEW. “THOROUGHLY ASHAMED.” Questioned as to whether lie favoured the use of slates or books as being conducive to better writing by school children, the chairman ot the Wanganui Education Board (Mr it. P, Hemingway), at a meeting of the Manawatu-Oroua School Committees Association, last evening, stated that he strongly advocated the use or slates. Taking the writing or children to-day, by and largo, he was thoroughly ashamed of it, ho commented. In replying to the question, Mr Hemingway first said that the subject was outside tlio jurisdiction of education boards, but lie expressed sympathy with those who were called upon to buy wr ; ting materials for the children when i*iev could ill afford to c ‘° ®° - He agreed that there was nothing like the attention paid to handwriting in the schools that had been the case years and years ago. He had a book of his grandfather’s in which the handwriting was perfect, and if children could be taught to write legibly and so that anybody, could read it, W 1804, then surely they could be taught to write well in 1935. “Taking tlie writing ot children, b.v and large, I am thoroughly ashamed oi it.” he continued. “I would strongly advocate the use of slates because 1 believe it would improve the writing.”