(AP) -- Some North Carolina lawmakers want to require that school children learn how to write and multiply even in today's modern world.
A legislative committee on Tuesday approved a proposal to change state law and require public schools to teach cursive handwriting and force students to memorize their multiplication tables. The proposal now moves to the House budget-writing committee.
The back-to-basics bill approved by the House Education Committee directs schools to teach handwriting so that students can write legible documents before finishing fifth grade. The proposal had little opposition. But some legislators wondered if fifth-grade teachers would be held accountable for students who didn't develop their skills.
Others noted the bill doesn't define how to judge students' competency in multiplication.
