I agree with your comparison to Latin, and in that respect, I do believe that cursive has its place. Absolutely.
But. Is that place occupying a prime position in a developing elementary school child’s day? Should we teach Latin to every 1st grader?
Or, should Latin be a subject for older children who develop a knack and interest in such things?
Have we moved, as a society, to a place where cursive is less of a utilitarian need and more of a specialty skill? I think so.
I can remember my tenth grade teacher telling me I’d be made fun of as an adult for not writing in cursive. Here I am, 30 years later, and I don’t know a single person that routinely writes in cursive.
Cursive is a skill that will take a period of school a day, for several years to develop. The time and place for that is during the development of penmanship, grades 2-5.
Is this what we want kids spending that time learning in today’s society? Mind you, the age of cursive as a practical, daily application has passed.
I agree that cursive holds considerable retrospective value. Does that value equal the intensity of learning for all children at that age? What’s the opportunity cost? What aren’t we teaching as a result that might have far more practical applications in the 21st century world?
The original post was phrased as a question of school board priority. Is this truly where the learning priorities of our elementary children should be vested today? Learning a style of writing that few will adopt and most will not even see in use in any practical form in their daily lives?
“should Latin be a subject for older children who develop a knack and interest in such things?”
Maybe only to those who develop a knack/interest. But why shouldn’t teenagers be forced to do things that don’t really interest them if it’s to their long-term advantage? Kids call all the shots now, tell their parents how things will be, and have no self discipline. That goes for a language, music lessons, or what-have-you. I had no choice. In NY State, when their education system was excellent, we Regents students had to take a language. Our choices were Spanish, French, or Latin. Looking at a future in med school (I didn’t go), I chose Latin.
Interesting idea you brought up, i.e., teaching Latin to every first grader. Kind of “out there”, but how could it hurt? The education libs, TV shows, etc., are shoving Spanish down their throats. Why not Latin? With a base in Latin, the others come more easily.