School shuns tech, teaches fountain pen

[Psalms18_28]

EDINBURGH, Scotland - In this age of cell phones, text messages and computer keyboards, one Scottish school has returned to basics. It's teaching youngsters the neglected art of writing with a fountain pen.

There is no clacking of keyboards in most classrooms at the Mary Erskine and Stewart's Melville Junior School, although there is a full range of facilities for computer lessons and technology isn't being ignored.

But the private school's principal believes the old-fashioned pens have helped boost the academic performance and self-esteem of his 1,200 pupils.

"The pens improve the quality of work because they force the children to take care, and better work improves self-esteem," principal Bryan Lewis said. "Proper handwriting is as relevant today as it ever has been."

Students as young as 7 have been instructed to forgo their ball point pens and get to grips with its more artful predecessor. By the time they reach grade five, at age 9, they are expected to write mainly with fountain pens.

At an English class recently, students worked at perfecting a skill that is under threat from the onset of e-mail

[John81]

Praise God! I believe it's terrible how many schools put little effort into writing and often next to none on penmanship.

Computers and such are great, but we should all be able to sit down with pen and paper and write a proper letter!

[kjvhouse]

Penmanship seems to be falling by the wayside with all the technology of today... one wonders how children in the future will sign things properly if they never learn cursive writing??? How will their signatures be unique enough to stop identity theft?? Back to basics programs sound great to me... way to go Scotland!!

[johnlee]

I just heard some are teaching youngsters the neglected art of writing with a fountain pen.

[Anon]

I think that's cool....although not practical really to use a fountain pen....I think it teaches good discipline and learning.

America is really sliding badly in education.

[Kayla]

America is really sliding badly in education.

Oh definitely, a lot of American Christian children are so brainwashed by video games and television they are lethargic toward the work of God.

[Bakershalfdozen]

Here I am being an armchair moderator...

Suzy, johnlee bumped a thread that is over 3 years old. Take a look at his siggy; he's prOBably just a spammer.

[Bakershalfdozen]

Whoops, not over 3 years; almost 3 years old.

[Anon]

haha oh well...

[Kayla]

I noticed that too Bakers6, I was going to say something to someone, then I forgot. I was too busy with all the DMV mess I had to deal with today. But the good news is, my car is 100% Missouri legal now.

[JerryNumbers]

Old memories, I remember classmates getting Sheaffer fountain pens that used a cartridge. The barrels of them were clear and you could see the cartridge in them. Them they come up with some that were tinted different colors I believe.

About the time they went out of style I finally got one of them.

[Kayla]

I want a fountain pen.

[JerryNumbers]

Yes, one of them that you've got to have a bottle of ink, so that when refilling you fountain pen you can turn it over and get ink on everything. That's is fun.

I remember in an early grade that is exactly what a classmate did, it wen all over her book and even out the floor, seems our teacher outlawed bottled ink from our classroom after that incident.

[Kayla]

Sounds like a fun experience

[JerryNumbers]

Sounds like a fun experience

It seemed fun for everyone but the girl who did it and the teacher. I always love classroom excitement such as that.