AIBU that school should scrap “Pen Licences”

[mumof2exhausted]

I just don’t get how it’s still a thing, it’s just another way to single out children who struggle with fine motor skills. As long as their writing is neat and legible does it really matter that it’s not cursive?

I remember this. My first primary didn’t do it and we had pens from yr4
Then my next primary made me use a pencil… i was a leftie so writing was harder for me.
It discriminates and frankly handwriting doesn’t matter as much as it used to

Yanbu I wondered what the point of it was the other day when my ds mentioned it.

YANBU. I think it's fine to offer the use of pen to certain year groups if the school wants, although I have worked in schools that just use pencil. But for those who really struggle with handwriting, it's just something else they may never achieve. Bit pointless, imo. Better to get a legible style in whatever implement works best for you.

You can't be 'expected' at KS2 Sats without having joined writing. Schools have very little choice but to push handwriting but I actually agree with you.

I hate the pressure on children in primary school to sortie in cursive, but pen licenses have their place. Some children do massively struggle with it, but other children being ready to start writing in pen isn’t about them. We shouldn’t take away little achievement awards from all children just because some won’t get them.

What is a pen license and how does the system work?

Christ are they still doing those?! My DC is home educated so I have no idea what the current trends are but I remember these from when I was at school.

Hated the thing. Every Friday was whole school assembly. They would make a big deal of bringing out a pen license on a cushion to any children who passed. My DS could never get one with his SEN that affected his handwriting. Just awful

I'm honestly really shocked these are still a thing.

My DDs handwriting improved when they gave her a pen instead of a pencil. Not having to press as hard made things a lot easier.

Yup, I worked in a school and hated them. Not every child develops fine motor control at the same speed, and it can leave some kids feeling shit about themselves...which is never conducive to learning.

Ds never got a pen license, they eventually just gave up and quietly let him use the pen. He's been diagnosed as dyspraxic since. So yes I think they are a crap idea. His writing was more legible in year 1 when they were allowed to print than it was in year 3 when they gave up on the pen license. He's now year 6 so not much longer and won't be tortured with cursive any more.

Oh and he uses a pen when writing at home and he says it’s much easier to write! Of course it is as you don’t need to push down as much or constantly make sure pencil is sharp but as school they won’t let him use a pen until he has his “licence”. It’s just nonsensez

My DS is visually impaired so isn't required to write in cursive (it's in his EHCP - the writing is too cluttered for him to read) and uses an erasable pen (again because of his visual impairment so the text is dark enough / has enough contrast). I do not understand the obsession with cursive writing - his penmanship is actually great for a visually impaired kid.

@fizzypop100

Hated the thing. Every Friday was whole school assembly. They would make a big deal of bringing out a pen license on a cushion to any children who passed. My DS could never get one with his SEN that affected his handwriting. Just awful

What a creepy gross ritual, humiliating for the ones who had issues and could never hope to get it, I imagine. I’m not a snowflake at all, we used to get beaten a lot in school etc, but this is too much. On a cushion! How bizarre. Is that really the best way they found to achieve good hand writing for everyone? How ridiculous.

@mumof2exhausted

Oh and he uses a pen when writing at home and he says it’s much easier to write! Of course it is as you don’t need to push down as much or constantly make sure pencil is sharp but as school they won’t let him use a pen until he has his “licence”. It’s just nonsensez

I was thinking this too, you have to put more effort into holding it down, instead of the calligraphy itself.

Primary teacher - blame Michael Gove (I like to for everything) as part of his curriculum 'reforms' he made it an expectation that pupils would be able to write in cursive, therefore schools have to encourage it ( my school made it a requirement that teachers would write in cursive and displays would be)
Obviously no thought to the fact it actively disadvantages children with a SEN, fine motor skill issues, dyslexia ect... Why would they matter

2 out of 3 of our children never got their pen licence at primary school… the 3rd isn’t old enough for us to know yet! I’m glad both the boys didn’t get one as our younger son has dyslexia and other development delays and I think it would have bother him but his elder brother was so unbothered by not getting one that he wasn’t bothered either. They did both get a special school award that comes with a certificate… I’m now wondering if that was because they never got a pen license certificate 🤔. Letting only some kids use pens does feel unnecessary to me - as pp have said, it’s easier to write with a biro so you don’t need good handwriting ability to use one and all the kids use them when they go to secondary anywhere even if they never got a bl**dy pen license!

100% should be scrapped.

My daughter still feels humiliated that she didn't get one in primary school where everyone knew which children failed to be awarded them in praise assembly.

She is dyspraxic and severely dyslexic, neither of which were diagnosed at primary school. What a way to humiliate a child who tries their hardest but never can achieve a handwriting certificate or the spelling ones.

Can you opt out

I don't know, it's kind of like should we scrap sports day or winning in football because some won't be able to? Of course not.

Having worked as a TA in a primary school, quite often pen skills were not reflective of academic ability, so some of the less able pupils often received their pen licences first - which was a huge confidence boost for them. We always used those fibre tip pens as opposed to fountain pens and the ergonomic triangular versions were superb for those who struggled with fine motor skills.

Being a leftie myself, I spent most of my school years in trouble for the mess I used to create when I wrote in ink. I always had a blue stain from my little finger to my wrist where I’d smudged straight through whatever I had just written! I never managed to master ‘the claw’ handwriting position that many fellow lefties perfected!

What is a pen licence?

Honestly never heard of this. (I'm in Scotland)

I thought you were going to talk about the PEN 15 club.

What nonsense. His writing is legible and neat .

So let’s compare writing to a race - as his writing is neat and legible he could still win the race, his technique just might not be as “polished “ as another person’s style of running.