Stories from Tri-City News headlines of decades past is a recurring feature as the publication marks its 40th anniversary in 2024.
Neatness counts — especially with handwriting.
That was the mantra three decades ago of elementary school teachers advocating for continuing to teach the craft of cursive writing in the classroom, even as students were becoming more comfortable using computers.
“It’s really difficult for kids to learn a physical skill like handwriting and think fluidly,” said a consultant with School District 43 (SD43).
To encourage cursive writing, some schools — like Baker Drive Elementary — enacted policies requiring students to learn handwriting.
“In our school, when work is published, it is handwritten,” principal Joey Sahli told the Tri-City News.
But some teachers wondered if theirs is a futile cause, as some schools started implementing extra marks for assignments submitted by computer.
“In other words, students are encouraged not to write,” said Kathy Strand, a Grade 4 and 5 teacher.
The Tri-City News has covered civic affairs, local crime, festivals, events, personalities, sports and arts in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody since 1983. Bound back issues of the paper are available at the Coquitlam Archives, while digital versions of several past years can be found at issuu.com.
