I have blogged about this before a few years ago, but now my suspicions – no, fears – are confirmed: school teachers are not adequately prepared to support left-handed children. Being left-handed myself and having two left-handed children, I find it monstrous that in a society where computer use is essential, schools don’t even know you can use a PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) left-handed. All three of the schools our children have attended have not known this basic fact. In two of them, they were receptive when we made an approach as parents. In their last school, the Head flatly told us it was impossible to use a computer anything other than right-handed. She didn’t like it when I then threatened to bring in my brother-in-law, who is in management with Microsoft and who is also a school governor elsewhere. She told us: “Left-handed children just have to adapt to living in a right-handed world.”
Will someone please explain to me why this prejudice is acceptable, when we have long rejected the cruel way in which left-handed children were forced to write right-handed, and given corporal punishment if they didn’t comply? Just what is the difference?
I know this isn’t on my usual topics of Christianity and ministry, but I’m angry that children should be let down like this.
Big Circumstance 
They should not have to adapt. Although we do have too. What most right-handed people do not realise its not just the adapting its the muddle one gets into trying to adapt.
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forgot to mention I was a teacher (retired now) and i did try my best to accomodate the left handed pupils in my class. Although the ICTtechs were not very reaponsive over the left handed mouse. Most schools think they have done their bit if there is one pair of left handed scissors per class!
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Glad you brought this to everyones attention,I,m in my midd 60s,When I started school it was the norm for everyone to be right handed,When my teacher showed us how to hold a pen or pencil I thought she was holding it in her left hand!So thats what I did,When starting secondary school we had to use fountain pens,I kept smudging my work All the teachers told me off,Not knowing I was left handed.Then the English teacher who was very understanding helped with the position of my hand and the placing of the book or paper I was writing on..Its very strange teachers are still against left handed students.When I was learning to be a butcher whoever was teaching me would say its imposable the teach lefties.But I soon learnt how to addapt..Most left handed as you know can addapt to useing the computer mouse .So teachers should make alowances for us lefties.In these enlightened times..Look at all the clever people who invented things for us.almost all of them left handed!!.I got on alright using right handed scissers,but so much better with left handed ones.I drive a Lambretta motor scooter from the 1960s,All of them have the gear change on the left just like in a car!We drive on the left.Soldiers are told by the sargent majior “By the left quick march!”(point made!!)Chris Scott.
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I am also a left-hander and have long been aware of the hidden discrimination against us. The world is simply awkward and I also think that there are medical issues involved with being left-handed that no one has really explored yet. Thanks for bringing this up.
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Christy,
Welcome here and thanks for the comment. I’d be curious to know more about the medical issues.
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