[frosted-flakes]

> Several countries require children to use fountain pens at school

Now I'm curious. Why is that? How are fountain pens different from regular pens when it comes to school? I've never even seen a fountain pen, let alone written with one (Canada).

[fishmaster]

It forces you to write in a certain way which means you learn correct hand placement, pressure, angle, etc. With a cheap pencil you learn bad habits.

[Symbiote]

The grip on the pen can (should) be much lighter, and the movement on the paper is smoother, so it's easier to write in a cursive script, and more comfortable to write a lot.

It's amusing to see discussions on fountain pens online. They're held in high regard by a section of HN, with discussions around ink type, importing Japanese nibs, using special paper and so on.

Mine cost €13 from a shop in Germany. It's a typical pen a high school student might own.

(You can buy them for as little as €4, although those are more likely to leak if dropped etc. Typical for a primary school student though.)