{"id":8885,"date":"2026-04-14T09:49:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T16:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classmates.com\/blog\/?p=8885"},"modified":"2026-06-09T06:47:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T13:47:23","slug":"high-school-typing-classes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.classmates.com\/blog\/high-school-typing-classes\/","title":{"rendered":"High School Typing Classes of The Past: Remember Taking Typing Classes in High School?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For kids born in the late \u201890s and early 2000s onward, typing and using computers came as naturally as speaking and walking. Yet, school students in the previous decade didn\u2019t quite have the same experience: they learned to type in courses up into their teenage years!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it’s true. If you were alive in those times, especially when typing courses were mainstream in the \u201850s \u2013\u201880s in high school<\/a>, then you remember taking these classes and probably thinking \u2018this is such a waste of my time! I\u2019ll never need to type.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, we\u2019ll reminisce on the times where taking typing classes was completely normal for high schoolers, and reflect on how important this course ended up being for Generation Jones and Gen X students and why these classes aren\u2019t as common now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
– Vocational Origins:<\/strong> From the 1900s through the 1970s, typing was primarily a vocational “Business” elective aimed at students pursuing secretarial or clerical roles. By the 1980s, the rise of the personal computer shifted the curriculum toward “Personal Typing” for all college-bound students.
– The “Waste of Time” Myth:<\/strong> Many Generation Jones and Gen X students originally viewed typing as an irrelevant skill, assuming only office assistants would ever need it. Today, most professionals cite it as the most practically useful course they took in high school.
– Touch Typing:<\/strong> Mastering the “home row” without looking at the keys became a lifelong advantage for those who pursued careers in IT, software engineering, and law, providing higher efficiency than the “hunt and peck” method.
– Modern Shift to Elementary:<\/strong> High school typing classes have largely vanished because the skill is now considered foundational. Most children today begin learning how to type in early elementary school to prepare for a fully digital learning environment.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why Did High Schools Have Typing Classes? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Franklin<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the early 1900s through the 1980s, high school typing courses were commonplace. Historically, typing was traditionally taught on a typewriter<\/a> and was considered a vocational course that students could opt into. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as home computers like Macs became more commonplace in the \u201880s and \u201890s, many schools required all students to start taking typing courses on computer keyboards<\/a>, and many elementary and middle schools integrated typing classes into their schedules as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this time, it was becoming evident that computers were becoming more standard and important for careers, so forward thinking school districts made sure their kids got the education they needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Did High Schoolers Think of Taking Typing Classes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"University<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

University of Texas at Arlington News Service Photograph Collection, CC BY 4.0 <https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ironically, as quintessential as computers are in our day to day lives, many students found typing class to be irrelevant and pointless. My own father, who went to high school in New Jersey in the mid-80s, even admitted to me that he failed typing class since he was certain at the time that he\u2019d never need to type and wouldn\u2019t go into a computer oriented field. To this day, he starts his morning every day during the week typing up emails on his PC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s because, even at the time, many people only associated computers with office work, <\/em>and typing was often seen as the responsibility of a secretary, who would type up what their boss and colleagues said out loud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little did they know that everyone <\/em>would be using personal computers by the \u201890s (and they couldn\u2019t ever fathom the pocket-sized computers we call smart phones today.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many students only took it because their mom said so or it was a school requirement. Could you imagine not knowing how to type properly today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out what Redditors that grew up in this era had to say when they were reflecting on taking typing courses<\/a>. Most confirm, it is such a relief they took this class!<\/p>\n\n\n\n