Rubbing out Chinese characters (2)

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Cramping up

While many call for new handwriting classes to be created alongside related TV shows and other methods, others disagree.

"I feel a bit ashamed that I am unable to write some words. But I don't think it will have any effect on my life and work. Using pinyin input, I can type any word as long as I can read them out. It turns out to be much quicker and more convenient than handwriting," said Xiao Jian, an IT engineer in Beijing.

"I don't think it would hinder the cultural heritage unless we completely abandoned this form of writing. But when we have a much more convenient option to write things down, why not accept it?" he noted.

Chen Jianwei, a professor of Chinese education at South China Normal University in Guangzhou, believes that handwriting will be abandoned anyway as new learning tools come into play.

"The new curriculum suggests kids learn to type in Grades 3 and 4. It also renewed requirements for handwriting. Before it was 'see handwriting as a basic tool'; now it's 'cultivate aesthetic taste in handwriting," Chen was quoted as saying by Guangzhou-based Information Times.

Schools across the country are promoting new teaching methods and are trying to reverse classroom models. Blackboard and chalks are gradually replaced by digital devices. In several cities, including Shenzhen, Xi'an, Chongqing and Changsha, education bureaus have begun to experiment with using iPads as textbooks in primary schools.

In front of this technical dominance in schools, teacher Su and her students have been torn over the fading of handwriting.

"It's a pity that letters have been replaced by e-mail, but that's the trend of social development," she said. "My class had a discussion about it. The final conclusion we came to is that letters and manuscripts can be treasured as beautiful memories."

"But I'm convinced that while we are enjoying high-tech achievements, we should nurture our intimacy with characters," she said.

Yang believes that the educators should attach more importance to spelling.

"It's a headache to check my daughter's essays, there are too many wrong words. The teachers are to blame. They spend too little time and passion interpreting characters' strokes and their meanings," he said.

Yang and Su agreed that the current Chinese education falls short of other subjects. "If you look at my daughter's homework, most of it is either English or mathematics. Some colleges even exclude Chinese during their particular recruitment examinations," said Yang, whose daughter is in high school. Su admitted that there are rare extra-curricular classes on Chinese or calligraphy.

Hao Mingjian, a noted linguist, said that negligence is to blame for this downturn.

"It seemed that people have got used to the frequent presence of wrong words. Some celebrities even purposely use wrong words. Under this impetuous, mainstream attitude, many people become careless and hasty when writing," Hao told the Youth Daily.

Reviving a habit

While most rely solely on type, some still keep up the habit of handwriting. Chen Xun, who teaches classic literature to kids in Huaian, Jiangsu Province, spends one or two hours daily transcribing ancient masterpieces by hand.

"I enjoy the time. It helps me find quiet and seek peace. Handwriting is helpful to mould a person's temperament," Chen told the Global Times.

Hai Yan, a successful fiction writer, still cannot use a computer. "Handwriting has become my favorite method of expression. It works best to inspire me and trigger my passion and imagination. It's a wonderful pleasure to write with a pen," he said, according to Jiefang Daily.

He deemed that keeping up handwriting helps nurture love for the Chinese language, cultivate moral character and increase an aesthetic sense.

In Shenzhen, some parents have taken action to avoid their kids relying too much on electronic devices. They jointly petitioned to local educational bureaus and demanded a stop to textbooks being replaced with an iPad.

In an open letter circulated on the Internet, the parents cited a school in the US.

The Waldorf School of the Peninsula in the middle of Silicon Valley is a private institution with many students whose parents are executives in the technological industry, working for firms like Google and Apple. But the school sticks to ways of yore, with blackboards, chalk, pens but no computers.

The education department of Futian district in Shenzhen eased parents' worries in late June, saying that digital devices would only be used for supplementary assistance and the kids could choose to use tablets voluntarily.

"iPads can not necessarily help enhance children's ability to read and calculate. I'd rather my child do more homework by hand rather than watch and type on digital screens," said Zhao Zhenying, father of a 5-year-old daughter. He said he makes his girl practice handwriting every day.

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