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Comment by Scubabear68 | Hacker News Reader

It’s nonsense because this is a public high school, government mandated and paid for by taxes.

Helping kids engage with literature they enjoy seems a lot worthier of my tax dollars than, say, teaching cursive.

Please tell me they don’t teach cursive anymore. I remember being fed the lie that I would have to use cursive as an adult.

I don’t even really write anymore…

Cursive is making a comeback. Google it. The education establishment is often divorced from reality.

Ah yes, and the few times I actually use a pen to write, 90+% I'm filling in a form that requires me to write in block letters...

They do still teach cursive, at least here in New York state.

You don't get to pick and choose which taxes you agree with. Part of living in society is paying taxes, part of which won't directly benefit you at all.

Living in a democracy means everybody gets to have their say in what is or isn't a worthwhile use of our resources.

That doesn't mean that you personally get to decide. Living in a democracy doesn't mean you'll have any fair say in things - or a say at all (see: felons and immigrants) and it does mean that things are going to happen that you think is ridiculous.

If we let things pass because (sometimes misinformed) person thought it was ridiculous, there wouldn't be a government at home and I, being female, might not have any rights whatsoever.

Everybody gets their say in the decision. It's called democracy. Somebody spouting off their opinion saying the process should be changed is part of the process; they not only get to do that, they're encouraged to.

The child's parents also pay taxes so surely they should have a voice.

And it seems like if the child is creative and has zero plans to go into STEM then he shouldn't have his time wasted. Which is a win-win for everyone since disengaged students often disrupt the teacher and other students.

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