The Ministry of Education has ordered primary and secondary schools to increase calligraphy classes in an aim to combat widespread keyboard use that has cramped children's penmanship. [Xinhua]

新華社消息，隨著電腦鍵盤(pán)的普及，中小學(xué)生漢字書(shū)寫(xiě)能力有所削弱，教育部要求各地中小學(xué)加強(qiáng)書(shū)法教育。
The Ministry of Education has ordered primary and secondary schools to increase calligraphy classes in an aim to combat widespread keyboard use that has cramped children's penmanship, Xinhua reported.

根據(jù)周五公布在教育部網(wǎng)站上的指導(dǎo)意見(jiàn)，三至六年級(jí)的小學(xué)生，每周要安排一課時(shí)的書(shū)法課，普通高中應(yīng)設(shè)置與書(shū)法有關(guān)的選修課程，中小學(xué)校還可在形式多樣的課外活動(dòng)中開(kāi)展書(shū)法教育。
In a notice issued on the MOE website Friday, students in grades three to six will have one hour of calligraphy class every week, and senior high schools should set up calligraphy as an optional course. Primary and secondary schools should also introduce various after-school activities on calligraphy.

概括來(lái)講，書(shū)法教育應(yīng)培養(yǎng)學(xué)生正確的寫(xiě)字姿勢(shì)，書(shū)寫(xiě)規(guī)范漢字，養(yǎng)成良好習(xí)慣。
In general, the courses will teach students to write standard Chinese characters in a proper way, using the right gestures.

高年級(jí)學(xué)生還應(yīng)學(xué)習(xí)鑒賞歷代重要書(shū)法家作品。
Students in higher grades should also learn to appreciate the work of ancient calligraphers.

意見(jiàn)要求，書(shū)法教育基礎(chǔ)較好的地區(qū)和省份，應(yīng)爭(zhēng)取在今年秋季即九月份開(kāi)學(xué)開(kāi)設(shè)書(shū)法課。
According to the notice, provinces and regions with adequate education resources should start calligraphy lessons in September, the beginning of the fall semester.

(China.org.cn August 29, 2011)