INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — A bill that would require elementary schools to include cursive writing in their curricula has passed the Indiana Senate.
House Bill 1066 is a bipartisan bill that would require every public school corporation, charter school and accredited nonpublic elementary school to include cursive writing in its curriculum.
The original bill aimed to allow transfer students to enroll in any school if the student's parent is an employee. State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) amended it to include the cursive requirement.
"For the last nine consecutive legislative sessions, I have advocated for cursive writing to be a requirement in our schools," Leising said in a statement.
"Since cursive writing was not included in Common Core curriculum, public schools across the state have stopped teaching cursive writing. As a result, youth today aren't able to validate their driver's license or sign agreements. HB 1066 is a positive step toward correcting this issue and I will continue to advocate for policies that strengthen educational foundations for our youth."
- State Sen. Jean Leising
The Senate passed the amended bill Tuesday. It will now return to the house for deliberation.
If passed, the bill would go into effect July 1.
