1235 Ala Kapuna Street
Honolulu, HI, 96819
September 15, 2016

Department of Education
1390 Miller Street
Honolulu, HI 96813


Dear Hawaii’s Department of Education administration,

As a student, I am directly affected by the changes in which you make to the schooling system in Hawaii. The schools themselves definitely have a part in terms of how well they can educate their students, but the DOE is the centerpoint in which every school here must base their standards and curriculum around.

I’m thoroughly pleased with the standards that you set for students in Hawaii schools, as well as the accommodation that you have for every student. However, I question that claim, as a left-handed student. Over the course of my entire high school and middle school education, I’ve experienced having to use right-biased desks very frequently. It has been growing increasingly frustrating, as students such as myself who use them face a wide variety of the difficulties that come along with right-biased desks. When having to take notes, write, or perform really anything on the desk that requires use of specifically my left hand, my wrist must form into a “hook” due to right-biased arm rest. This “motion” requires me to twist my entire body in such a way that results in very poor and awkward posture. The shoulder and neck are especially victims of this, though, the back may also experience some pain if severe enough. Poor posture, when paired with an educational environment whose time is very limited, can definitely hinder left-handed individuals and their ability to perform well on tests or any written assignment that’s timed.

Speaking of tests, although I have never been accused of cheating on an exam or anything of the likes, I can definitely see that being a problem with left handed students using right-biased desks. The adjustment that left-handed students have to make in order to write can definitely seem as if they are turning to observe another student’s paper.

A proposal could be including left-handed desks in schools. However, the problem there is the fact that there aren’t many individuals who possess this trait, so it wouldn’t make sense to have desks that serve a small fraction of a school. Instead, non-biased desks or even simply tables and chairs would serve as a solution to the difficulties that left-handed students experience.

It’s a pleasure to have you folks at the DOE as the leaders of education in our state, but I find that this nonsensical aspect of the educational experience should be addressed in the future.

Sincerely,



Coby Shimabukuro-Sanchez