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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Caitlin Cassidy

The write stuff: Australian children have to earn their pen licence, but is the coveted certificate on the way out?

There are many rites of passage in a young person’s life. The ability to drive, to drink, to ride a rollercoaster. Yet one milestone comes with a particular mixture of anxiety and pride: the pen licence.

In many schools across Australia, young children are given a “credential” for their proficiency in handwriting, which looks like a driver’s licence. Where the tradition originated and how it is employed is shrouded in mystery.

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