To think schools should have a class to teach basic life skills

School is not a replacement for parenting!

In an ideal world this is what parents would teach their children. But there seems to be a huge amount of people who either don’t have the time or inclination to teach basic life skills to their children so yes I think this would be useful for all.

Schools do not have the time or resources to replace everything parents chose not to do, people are happy to have children but then think that is where it ends

I think schools have got enough to do.
This stuff OP is parents responsibility

Maths includes simple and compound interest, for mortgages, inflation, future costs ect.
business and economics also cover contracts and things.

apart from that humanities and English covers reading and critically responding to sources.

science covers a lot more than how to use a Bunsen burner. I teach science.

This year my year 6 class have covered the needs of living things, experiments on the importance of light, water and nutrients and predicting natural disasters, current warning systems ect. Later in the year we are covering electrical circuits, which incidentally they will get to ‘change a light bulb’ as we purposely blow one of the tiny 4V bulbs by increasing the voltage.

I think the issue is not learning stuff in school but retention. I do find it amusing how many adults insist you don’t learn financial maths at school. You do, you probably just were not listening!

We do, in Wales. I do also, as a mum.

Why would they be embarrassed its ok not to know things we all have to learn somewhere. I'm sure the poster knows how to do things you don't. We never stop learning and it's comments like this, that makes people not ask for help when they need it

I’d say this is what parents should do?

I teach PSHE and nearly everything you have listed is taught in schools.

Peer pressure is ddone almost every year.

We also teach about bulls, tax, take home pay, interest rates, saving vs getting loans etc...

Good parents do, but not all children have good and loving parents. What do you propose we do with these children?

I really wish schools would do sessions on these things. I was extremely neglected by my parents and couldn't even boil an egg. I just hid from them because I didn't feel safe at home.
When they kicked me out at 16 to fend for .myself I was a complete innocent in the world and knew nothing about anything.
I've made a good life for myself but it's taken years and of course I was preyed upon by unscrupulous people. I was never given any period products or bought a first bra.
There are an awful lot of children Iike this sadly and there should be courses for life skills. It doesn't necessarily have to be at school but the school could refer.

We teach a lot of this at my school, and the kids hate it even more than they hate regular lessons! They certainly don't appreciate it as relevant or interesting.

Like most people things in life, you don't care until you care - for example, you only start to think it might be a good idea to have a hand with budgeting once you've realised that you're not doing a great job of it.

Maybe what we need is better access to more short-course evening classes for young (or older!) adults.

Reading a meter is on the maths GCSE spec and is regularly examined.

I’m 28 and have no idea how to change a lightbulb

I would be too embarrassed to admit that, even to a load of strangers!

Erm... I've taught in a couple of schools and most of those points absolutely were taught. I have taught the money side of things- budgeting, credit cards etc in both subject specific classes(Bus Ed) and in a general pshe/review periods. Spent time going through healthy relationships, signs of abusive and coercive relationships and lots of other relationships stuff also. It absolutely is on the curriculum for most schools in England at least. If pupils engage in lessons they can learn to do these things. Problem is learning about credit cards, mortgages etc doesn't really feel meaningful for some kids and for many even if they enjoy it learning about different types of finance in school isn't when they need it so they forget most of it once it's time for them to buy a house etc. We look at finance e.g. for a car and student loans but it's not always relevant to them right now. I think the only things on your list that I've not come across in my experience is the fire alarm check and light bulb. Schools often have a rep from the fire brigade come out to give talks so it might even come up there.

OP has clearly never heard of PHSE.

Hard, hard disagree (apart from the aspects covered in existing curriculum).

Parents need to parent. Or I think social services could have some provision for those children or parents who are struggling with these skills. Maybe some voluntary schemes or mentoring even?

Either way, children need to be learning academic skills, yes that includes the arts, sciences, mathematics and arithmetic, literature, languages, yes trigonometry is important, yes technical skills are important, as is sport (I hated it).

Kids need to have a solid grounding to progress through education and build reasoning skills. The kids at Eton won't be learning how to change a lightbulb. The kids in standard schools need to be getting the most solid academic grounding and guidance they can achieve. Not being held back from the world of proper learning by the stuff their parents should be teaching them. We need a good understanding of the world around and a widening of the horizons to develop critical thinking. This is predicated upon knowledge and understanding, not basic domestic skills which need to be picked up by caregivers. Children are vulnerable in today's world if they don't have critical thinking stills.

I truly despise this argument 'i didn't particularly enjoy trigonometry so let's drop anything rigorous and all kids sit learning what, how to polish shoes?'.

Teacher here in Ireland. Boooooored of this argument.

Firstly, the vast majority of these topics are taught in some form in Ireland over a variety of subjects, and the students have nnoooo interest because they can't see the value in knowing about something like mortgages for example at the age of 16!

Secondly, why does everything become something schools "should" cover.... do people want longer school days?? Other subjects cut?? Or where is the time going ti magically appear from to teach all these topics people are forever saying should be taught in schools...

OP, I'm sorry you are getting flack for this but this is a topic that has been raging from when I left school in the 1980's .
Where do we draw the line? How to get a mortgage isn't going to be any use to a very poor family who's only hope is social housing -and if you are familiar with MN then you will be aware that fully grown accomplished adults have no idea about SH and really, why should they? It doesn't apply to them.

That's just a small sample of things that could be covered that won't apply to your or my own life, which is why your own support network helps.

I love the US for introducing driving lessons in school , but again I wouldn't expect that to be covered ,- would be nice though.

Literally the role of parents.

People always have a lot of opinions about everything schools should be teaching, but fewer ideas about what schools should drop. Or do you want the day to be longer?

My DH went to boarding school - boy, can he make a bed, his hospital corners are very impressive. He can also iron a pair of trousers & a shirt better than I can. He was at school in late 1950's-1960's & was taught how to do it at school.

Also How to be a remotely decent parent, hoping that the ignorance will be dissipated for future generations.

That's great if all schools do that now for all kids they certainly didn't when I was at school.