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Definitely ‘News’ ? Handwriting in exams is too ‘tiring’ for students, headmaster warns“

(104 Posts)
Urmstongran Mon 13-Dec-21 19:03:49

A-level and GCSE exams should be typed because long periods of handwriting can be “tiring” for youngsters, the headteacher of a top boarding school has said.

Keith Metcalfe, headmaster at Malvern College, in Worcestershire, has called on exam boards to drop compulsory handwritten exams for GCSEs and A-levels in favour of typed papers, in order “to improve fairness and accessibility for all”.

At first I thought ‘what?’ Then remembered writing all the Christmas cards last week.

What are your thoughts on this? Are they just mollycoddled youngsters or has technology rendered swathes of handwritten pages a thing of the past?

SueDoku Thu 16-Dec-21 08:18:19

Bah - posted too soon..!
45 mins per three-hour paper) to allow for this.
DGS is learning touch-typing to help him.

Shropshirelass Thu 16-Dec-21 09:42:15

I love seeing nice handwriting, but have had some that are almost impossible to read. My first reaction was no, but on reflection maybe it is the right way to go, as long as handwriting skills are not lost for good!

springishere Thu 16-Dec-21 13:07:46

Two points:

1. You can't touch type on a phone, or even a small ipad.

2. Will we not need to sign anything manually in the future then?