His Excellency just signed into law a bill that requires public schools to ‘provide instruction in cursive writing’ and ‘provide instruction of the multiplication tables’ by the end of fifth grade.
Let’s ignore for the moment the size of the loopholes in this bill. For example, a school that sets aside ten minutes per year for instruction in each of these subjects has met its legal obligation. And even if a school just ignores the RSA, there are no penalties for non-compliance.
What I find really interesting is that those same schools are already required to provide instruction in reading and math, starting much earlier. Yet, fewer than half the kids in the schools are learning those things.
How will this be any different?
Think about how things would change if schools were required not to teach various subjects but to make sure that kids learn them.
