Handwriting returning to British schools

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LONDON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- A draft copy of Britain's new English curriculum revealed handwriting lessons will return to middle schools, officials said.

The new secondary curriculum for English drafted by education officials states "Stage Three" pupils, ages 11-14, should be taught to "write accurately, frequently and at length, with increasing fluency and sophistication" through "personal and business letters using the correct form" in addition to stories, poems and essays, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

The draft calls for "Key Stage Four" students, ages 14-16, to "increase the range of their writing" and use "accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar."

The draft came amid a report by the British Office of Communications, a telecommunications watchdog, stating text messaging is on the rise among teenagers, with teens sending an average 193 messages per day.