What would you like to see studied at school?

[changedmyname24]

We have just been having an interesting chat as a family, about what we think should be taught at school.

I am in favour of a Life Skills subject for all students, incorporating:

• Growing fruit & veg in a garden, pots or an allotment
• Preparing said fruit & veg
• Cooking basic meals
• Basic car maintenance eg changing a tyre, checking oil etc
• Laundry - from sorting to ironing
• Mending clothes
• Budgeting
• Paying bills
• Basic first aid

I think that some of these would alleviate pressure on other services, such as the NHS, so would be of national benefit.

What would you add?

I was at a grammar school in the 70s. I do recall doing proper meal planning and cooking pretty complex 3 course meals and having to set out the nutritional values. I still love cooking meals from scratch to this day. Sewing, mending and laundry was taught to me by my mum. Boys did basic car maintenance using a couple of old bangers that each year dismantled and rebuilt every summer.

starting a business, tax, pensions, investing, budgeting

Personal finance is taught - it’s on the statutory citizenship curriculum and is also covered in maths
Politics is also on the citizenship curriculum
Lots of things mentioned are covered in PSHE

We cover debt, credit, budgets, loans, student loans, mortgages, rent, tax, payslips, pensions and consumer rights in PSHE

And those are the very kids that need their academic education even more to progress.

Basic day to day tasks like laundry they can pick up or learn through trial and error fairly easily.

Public speaking
critical thinking
debating skills

Definitely Critical Thinking!

https://pshe-association.org.uk/guidance/ks1-5/programme-of-study

Fake news, algorithms, misinformation is also on the new PSHE spec

English.

I did the city and guilds 10 week home DIY & maintenance course it covers fairly similar contents as the GCSE construction course - building a stud wall, plasterboarding, skimming, tiling, basic plumbing, basic joinery. It was brilliant. If i had done that at school I would have still be using those skills, and having the confidence to try other DIY skills too, in my 40s which can't be said for much of the rest of what I studied at school.

We all had half a 'booth' to work in, Riley from Year 10 had the other half, and he put his tile spacers in the wrong why round and I copied him... damn Riley and his slopy work!!!

I'd recommend anyone to look up the adult evening courses put on my their local technical college, some of them run free ones. I've also done plastering, landscape construction. I'd also recommend anyone whose kids have this as a GCSE option to encourage them to do it.

Personal finance.
I was never taught anything about this, frankly insane gap in teaching.

Does everyone need to be spoonfed everything these days? Isn't anyone capable of finding stuff out for themselves any more?

I'd do that now if I could, even though I'm 67.

Mostly finance, taxes, investments etc. I can teach day to day money management and try to instil a saving ethic but I am by no means capable of more detail. I guess it’s a more basic version of economics for all.

My daughters went to school in Sweden and most of these were part of the Home & Consumer studies curriculum that is compulsory from year 1 until GCSE

• Growing fruit & veg in a garden, pots or an allotment - I remember various things coming home in pots

• Preparing said fruit & veg - veg prep definitely included

• Cooking basic meals - yes - they learned a lot of low cost meals that kept the DDs going through Uni (soups, stews, pastas, bread, rice dishes etc) and for the GCSE practical she had to make Paella and a bread from scratch - starting with butchering a chicken.

• Basic car maintenance eg changing a tyre, checking oil etc - this was mostly DH - wheel change (we have to change twice a year), putting up shelves, building IKEA furniture etc

• Laundry - from sorting to ironing - covered in primary school at age 9 or 10 and vacuuming.

• Mending clothes - I think this was covered in the textile course and they had to make a prom style dress and something with wool as well with knitting, felting or crochet

• Budgeting - both were really good at this

• Paying bills - yes and basic consumer rights

• Basic first aid - yes

Lots of amazing ideas and things to think about.

The menstrual cycle, what a healthy cycle should be, and understanding when things aren’t quite right. In many ways, the menstrual cycle can be an indicator of underlying health. For example, the impact of low iron on the cycle; ironically, it tends to become more dysregulated and heavier, further worsening low iron. Or, the impact of a low body weight/low % body fat on the menstrual cycle; the disturbed cycles are not because they’re an athlete but probably because they’re underfuelling.

Business studies & proper modern computer skills! Use of excel, word etc

Why did you say no?

Believing something SHOULD be a parent’s responsibility is one thing, but not wanting to offer support when that doesn’t happen (and effectively punishing the children instead) doesn’t feel great. Dental / oral health is really important.

Sometimes parents don’t teach their children all the things we’d want them to for all sorts of reasons (single parents working long hours, alcohol misuse, mental health issues - you don’t need me to list these things I’m sure!)

I know there’s a lot of pressure on schools, but where else might a child get these skills if they’re not learning at home? It’s more helpful to break the cycle then just leave them to it.

Critical thinking and financial responsibility. Parents SHOULD be teaching this but frankly enough of them are just incapable themselves that schools need to step in.

Isn't that called parenting?

I was bored to death with Latin and Caesar's Gallic wars but when I chose a career in the NHS many years later much of it made sense.

First aid 100%

Maybe a “life skills” class.

More practical skills classes- maybe drivers ed like they have in the US.

and as for getting rid of something? Religious studies. Ridiculous class.

also I wouldn’t want my child to learn Latin. Waste of time.

I used to teach something like this called ASDAN

90s orienteering. I.e. how to agree to meet someone and turn up on time without a phone.

No point in oil and tyre changing now. Our last 3 cars haven't had spare tyres and our new one is an EV. I think the only way to self mend an EV is to pray to the battery gods.

I do teach my DSes things like this. One has SEN which means he doesn't retain this kind of information easily. He will likely go to a Special school soon & all of those offer these kinds of lessons among others.

I was thinking of these things more for families who don't have the time or perhaps struggle with things themselves.

In no way do I want or expect teachers to take on more. I would think of it within a whole new curriculum, perhaps as a subject of its own. I was taught most of this kind of thing at school & housework too.

I'm sorry to have upset people, it was merely an interesting conversation in our house which I thought others might find interesting too. I will leave it there so as not to cause further upset.