NATIONAL HANDWRITING COMPETITION 2015

Message to Schools

Respected Sir / Madam,

Handwriting is one aspect of education that has been overlooked by curriculum designers, academicians, parents and students. Research, however, has proved that handwriting reflects the personality traits of individuals. A good handwriting is a lifelong investment for professional growth.

Cursive writing is an art that helps teach children muscle control and hand- eye coordination. Multiple researches show that bad writing leads to lower grades/marks and might have irreversible impact on the child’s personality. The neurological process that directs thought, through fingers, into written symbols is a highly sophisticated one. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better …. a lifelong benefit. Children who don’t learn correct technique find it harder to write by hand, so they void it. Schools that do teach handwriting often stop after fourth grade/class …. right after children learn cursive.

Our main intension in conducting this competition is to create awareness among students and the school management the importance of Handwriting. A handwriting skill is crucial for successful and satisfying education experience and is a lifelong learning skill.

I am confident that by joining hands and working together we will pave way for the bright future of the generation next.

Thank you, With warm regards, Stephen V - National Controller, National Handwriting Competition 2015

The assessment of the exam answer papers will be in three rounds.
Round 1 is for School Level. The first 3 best performers in every school, in each Category, will be awarded Handwriting Champ of the School Certificate and Medal. All the students will receive Participation Certificates.
Round 2 is for State Level. Students who qualify in the Round 1 are eligible for Round 2. This round is among the students from the same State. The first 3 best performers in State, in each Category, will be awarded Handwriting Champ of the State Trophy, a Certificate and Gift Hamper worth Rs. 2000/-
Round 3 is for the National Level. All students who qualify in the Round 2 are eligible for Round 3. This round is among the students of different states. The first 3 best performers, in each Category, in India will be awarded Handwriting Champ of the Nation Trophy, a Certificate and Gift Hamper worth of Rs. 5000/-

Competition Pattern

Eligibility
Category A – Students of standard: I, II, III and IV.
Category B – Students of standard: V, VI, VII and VIII.
Category C – Students of standard: IX, X, XI and XII.

Examination Pattern
The medium of examination will be English.
The question paper for Category B and C will be the same. Category A has to write in a four-ruled paper.
The duration of the exam is for 20 minutes.
There will be only one written exam and the same answer sheet will be evaluated for further rounds/levels (if shortlisted in a particular round/level).

Evaluation Criteria
The following points are considered while evaluating the answer papers:
a) Legibility and neatness.
b) Font formation and uniformity in fonts.
c) Joining or connectivity between letters(in cursive handwriting) and Spacing between letters(in print handwriting)
d) Pen strokes and their angle.
e) Legibility in the formation of numbers.
f) Presentability of your script by underlining with colour pens.
g) There will be negative marking for pressure applied on paper.

The minimum number of participants in any given category should be fifteen. For example; If XYZ High School sends an entry with 15 students in category A, 15 in category B and only 2 in category C, then the first three toppers in category A and B will be awarded Medals and Merit Certificates. But category C students will only get the participation certificates.

Date of Exam: Any day as per the convenience of the school management. The Last date to finish the exam is 30th November 2015. The answer sheets should reach ASK Learning Centre, Chennai by 15th December 2015.
Time: Any time as per the convenience of the school management, 20 minutes will be allocated to each category.
Venue: Exam will be conducted in the respective school.
Results: The results will be declared in the first week of January 2016.

Awards: The award distribution function will be held in New Delhi on 23rd January 2016 which is the International Handwriting Day. For the students and the School Management who are unable to attend the Awards Function at New Delhi, their prizes will be dispatched to their respective Schools by Registered Post by February 2016.

The Jury comprises of a group of highly experienced professionals of SmartWRITE working in the field of Handwriting, 
Calligraphy and Graphology. The decision of the SmartWRITE Jury is final.