See, now I hated cursive writing in school. I still can't write proper cursive as an adult and I can only read it if it is pure, perfect, textbook cursive. I was told I'd have to use it in H.S. and Uni but when I got to those points they didn't care. In fact, by the time my younger sister got to H.S. they were forbidding cursive, opting for print or typed essays and reports due to illegibility. It all looks like scribbles to me, and the only time I ever have to use cursive is my signature (which growing up my mother said was the reason I had to learn cursive) and that's really just a bunch of scribbles that make up what my name looks like to me when written in cursive.

I think handwriting/printing should be taught just like anything else... but cursive should not be enforced. Maybe learn the basics. Yes, it's flowing and looks more elegant, but so is calligraphy. Learn the basics and focus on print. If signatures are so important, at least have kids learn to write their names in cursive.