WHY SHOULD WRITING BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS?

You might be wondering, ” Why the fuss about writing?”. We can write a complete sentence and spell out our names correctly. We also wrote our final exams and here we are. It’s no big deal. But do you also know that most educational institutions are making writing a vital part of the schools curriculum? While some individuals and companies are also making more money from writing. In this article I’ve explained some of the reasons why writing should be taught in schools.

It is an important form of communication in every area of life.

Life is more meaningful when people communicate effectively through words and actions. Communication is one most important tool that helps to form a long lasting impression, relationships, attract customers, retain customers, organize seminars, conduct interviews, etc…

As one form of communication,  written communication can become effective through writing letters, sales copy, social media posts, emails, newsletters, etc. On the other side, opportunities, like attracting or persuading prospects or closing a business deal, can be rendered futile with bad writing. When an email or a letter is badly worded with spelling errors, grammatical blunders or ideas are miscommunicated, these are enough for a prospect or potential client to lose interest in a business deal.

It is required by most job positions

Writing is a skill that most professionals are required to have, be it a white collar job or a blue collar job. It could be a lawyer drafting out the legalities of a business agreement, a freelancer offering his content writing services, a teacher drafting a lesson plan or note for a class, a medical practitioner writing a medical report or a business man recording sales and expenditure for the day.

Whatever the profession, it’s importance cannot be overemphasized. It’s one of the reasons why most businesses and organizations require a level of competence in writing from their employees and few are hired because of this.

It maximizes our Critical Thinking Skill

Critical Thinking involves the application of logical principles and careful reasoning to the discussion of belief and issues. In the process of writing, students learn the difference between facts and opinions, and also how to support with facts.

In order to increase your chances of employment, you need to have experience in your field of study and various practical skills. It so happens that Writing is a highly valued skill in this day and age especially in the corporate world and private sectors.
Everyone can write, that much is true.

But “Writing well” is not as easy as it sounds. It needs constant practice, reading, research, comprehension and our ability to retain information in order to communicate effectively. Those who write well are highly skilled and also make use of their critical thinking skill that is being developed alongside.

It is good for business

Good writers are also good readers. They both work hand in hand. They are also good editors and proofreaders. A spelling error or wrong use of words describing a product could mean bad business for a company or organization.

A highly trained Copywriter would be on the lookout for any kind of error,  in the process saving money for a company or preventing it from losing money. They are also able to communicate their thoughts and ideas into written form which can entertain an audience or attract a prospective client 

“Everything in life is writable about, if you have the outgoing guts to do it and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self doubt.” – Sylvia Plath.

In essence, good writers can increase the revenue of a company or an organization.

Writing shouldn’t also be restricted to just academic institutions. It’s a life skill. It could be a letter to the President, an email to a coworker, opening speech at a social event or a social media post. Let’s equip our children and youths with this important life skill so they can also teach the next generation using the right tools.