Why touch typing in schools should be made mandatory

The move has of course prompted concerns about the demise of handwriting for children, which as someone who only a few years ago undertook a PGCE in secondary English, I also feel strongly cannot be allowed. 

However, what I feel most aggrieved about is that the majority of secondary school children do not know how to touch type as it is not part of the curriculum, nor is it offered as a lunch time or after school activity. I wasn’t taught it at school, and begrudgingly decided to do a touch typing course during the summer holidays in the first year of my A-levels. I absolutely hated it at the time, found it deathly dull, but have thanked my mother for forcing me to do it ever since. 

Although at the time I didn’t enjoy my touch typing course, I have since become somewhat of a self-confessed touch typing nerd and have even taken part in online touch typing games where I have averaged 100 per words a minute. Neither of my children can touch type, which I think is ridiculous in this day and age. 

I came across a petition that was submitted to the 2015-2017 Conservative government that called on touch typing to be made part of the national curriculum. The person who set up the petition said that “In our modern digital world, efficient use of keyboards is an essential life skill. My children have gone through the state school national curriculum in England and never received formal typing instruction. And as a parent, there was nothing I could do about it.”

I couldn’t agree more with this parent. Touch typing is an essential life skill that seems to be overlooked by schools, along with cooking and budgeting. I could go on and on, but I will refrain. I was clearly not meant to be a teacher as I like to challenge the status quo and prefer to be the one asking the questions to the teachers in parent/children meetings rather than the other way round!

Although I 100% don’t think handwriting should not be overlooked if touch typing is made mandatory in schools, it is important to remember that handwriting does not come easy to many pupils. In November 2021, Dyslexia Uk wrote on their website that “Many people with dyslexia also have other difficulties, such as dyspraxia, dysgraphia, or other handwriting issues. Their writing can appear messy or illegible, which makes it hard for them, as well as others to read what they have written. Typed work, however, appears neat, and is easier to read, meaning that not only can the writing be clearly read, but allows the person who is embarrassed by their messy handwriting to take pride in their work.”

Teaching Times reported in 2021 that “the pandemic highlighted the need for digital skills. During lockdown almost everyone had to do their work on digital devices, so why don’t we teach touch typing?” 

Handwriting lessons don’t need to be stopped if touch typing lessons are introduced; as far as I am concerned, they are both equally as important. Next time I attend a parents evening, I will certainly be bringing it up. English teachers, in fact all teachers, be prepared!