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I still think that every public schooled individual should be taught to read the writing of the constitution and declaration of independence.
I write in cursive on my tablet all the time. Although, it takes print input as well.
Then should we also be able to read the original language and script of the Magna Carta? Did you enjoy trying to make sense of Beowulf in the original Old English or the Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English? I'm sure reading The Iliad in the original Greek would be a hoot.
What's important about any great historical document/work is NOT the words on the parchment but the meaning of the words.
It is very easy and quick to teach someone cursive; so if this skill is needed for the job, why not just give them training?
I have not used cursive since high school; the military broke me of using cursive as it was a print only environment, and years of that using cursive just went away.
No one at work uses cursive, even people near retirement age; everything is print or typed; any meeting notes are always typed and distributed.
OP, there was a huge thread on this a bit ago. I agree that people need to be able to read and write cursive.
In college the other day, all of the students had to sign their name on a sheet of paper for attendance.
I noticed most were printed, but mine was signed. It was not messy at all but my teacher could not read it. He guessed with a puzzled look on his face.
I do not think people writing cursive are going to be considered dinosaurs.
When I worked in a drs office, it is all people used. Doctors included. It's all I use.
I have been doing some ancestry things and I would be in a load of trouble if I could not read cursive. Everything is written out in cursive from years ago.
Not being able to read cursive to the point where someone else must decipher it for you is pitiful, even if you didn't learn it in school. It's not really very different than manuscript, and is for the most part very intuitive. If I had someone working under me who couldn't decipher cursive script, I'd be concerned about their capacity for any real intellectual processing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pupmom
Thank you - these 2 interns don't read or attempt to read cursive. It is something they have never been exposed to- it isn't due to being unable to read my cursive-they don't read cursive and neither attempted.
I agree with TabulaRasa. Except for a few "odd" capital letters like "F" or "Z" , almost all of the cursive letters look identical to the manuscript letter with just a simple "connection". If someone can not figure out something written in cursive, they just didn't try very hard.
It would be similar to someone saying that they couldn't read this because it wasn't written in Verdana or Times Roman font.
OP, there was a huge thread on this a bit ago. I agree that people need to be able to read and write cursive.
In college the other day, all of the students had to sign their name on a sheet of paper for attendance.
I noticed most were printed, but mine was signed. It was not messy at all but my teacher could not read it. He guessed with a puzzled look on his face.
I do not think people writing cursive are going to be considered dinosaurs.
When I worked in a drs office, it is all people used. Doctors included. It's all I use.
I have been doing some ancestry things and I would be in a load of trouble if I could not read cursive. Everything is written out in cursive from years ago.
That's what I was going to ask about here, how do people make their signatures without learning cursive? Is "the new way" going to be printing a signature? Sorry, if a person can't write his/her signature I can't take that person seriously.
I wonder what's next for antiquity in U.S. education--Roman numerals?
I have to confess that I often have a hard time reading bad cursive, but I can usually decipher it well enough by looking at it for a bit. Sloppy handwriting, cursive or printing, is irritating. My father was left handed, had bad handwriting and could often not read what he had written! I do think one can be taught to at least read cursive, even as an adult. If I had an intern that could not read cursive, I would do her or him a favor and suggest that they learn it.
They are already pretty much gone ... even if people know the basic values for the numerals, to apply their use is very clunky ..... beside, there is no reason to type "MCMXCVIII" - when you can just type "1998"
As for the cursive - I have a hard time believing that if it was good handwriting that they couldn't piece together most of it .... the letters just aren't that different from what is being printed
However, even with that if part of the job is reading your notes then they have to learn how to do it to do the job ..... no problem in letting them know if they want to work with you with any success they need to learn this - you'll get an opportunity to see how good of a student and how good of a worker they are if they adapt and get it done
Cursive is going to be obsolete soon if it isn't already. I'm sure 30 years ago someone in your position would be shocked that an intern could not read short hand -- this is now the norm, as short hand has fallen into disuse.
I think teaching kids cursive is a waste of time when it's not really used that much anymore.
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Except for a few "odd" capital letters like "F" or "Z" , almost all of the cursive letters look identical to the manuscript letter with just a simple "connection". If someone can not figure out something written in cursive, they just didn't try very hard. 
your signature
Sorry, if a person can't write his/her signature I can't take that person seriously.
