Why schools do this!!?

[FedUpOfYetAnotherCold]

AIBU to wonder why children in primary school are taught 'head, shoulders, knees and toes' in French, can tell the difference between metamorphic, sedimentary and ignious rocks, can trace a stone age picture, can create great models of the tower of London, and learn (and promptly forget) all about the Victorians, Romans etc... but...

Quite a few can't swim 25m by end of primary (a skill which could save their life), many barely know what the term 'mental health' means - let alone know how to manage their own or support others with MH difficulties. Most state primary kids are not given access to decent sports provision to support future athletic dreams, better manage in-school behaviour, and promote healthy lifestyle and reduce obesity, and very few kids are supported to learn key life skills. (I'm focussing on primary here - but we also need more life skills like MH and budgeting and cooking etc... taught in secondary)..

Surely we need more teaching in schools on mental health, life skills and better access to sports and teaching which will lead to physically and mentally healthy adults of the future.

When my children finish primary I'd like them to be able to read, write and do basic maths. But in terms of the rest of the teaching - surely we now need to re-evaluate how much emphasis we place on teaching less vital skills such as French (if a language is deemed important why not Chinese, Spanish or Arabic, or something more useful in this current global village) which could be learnt later if desired?

AIBU?

I'd love schools to play a roll.in teaching these things as I don't know where else kids can learn this stuff if their parents are not in a position to do so.

But at what cost? It would be hugely time consuming and utterly pointless for the majority of children who's parents do.... parent. It is for social services to step in where parents are really not managing.

My kids learned about mental health in school. It was the joke class, a bit like sex ed in my day. The only people who took it seriously had self-diagnosed multiple disorders by the end of term. I am convinced that anyone who had a genuine problem would not have benefitted in the slightest. Surely this topic is better addressed in a measured and informed way by a specialist.

@FedUpOfYetAnotherCold

Finance, politics, first aid, relationships, mental health and more are already compulsory in secondary schools..

Sound a like a step in the right direction, but if a kid can't read and write, and doesn't know how to manage their emotions or look after themself, or have healthy relationship, or attend to personal hygiene etc.. by the time they get to secondary, they will.likely have stopped attending before they get taught this stuff....

33% of which is down to schools.

Your kids already get a free education paid for by the taxpayer. That's like 12k a year the government spends on your kids.

What more do you want, jam on it?

Lots of these things are taught. Schools cover a great deal more life skills than they used to do, but most of all, they teach kids how to learn. And the information on all these things is more accessible than it ever was online. I think you're raging at the wrong target here. Those offenders will have been let down in many ways, some of them since they were born, and it's unlikely tweaks to the curriculum would fix it. You must know as well as anyone how complex the issues are.

What a terrible idea. There is enough of this attitude in the education system already, which is why we are behind countries like Estonia and Slovenia in PISA scores. You are the parent: if you want to cover something, it is up to you.

@FedUpOfYetAnotherCold - my DBF has been in prison. As you describe he has poor mental health, a poor education (dyslexia and ADHD too) and limited life skills. I'm not sure in his case how much school could have done - he didn't consistently attend any one place through Primary and then it got even more chaotic through Secondary. One of the main reasons he lacks life skills is that until more recently he has spent most of his adult life in prison, homeless or in a psychiatric hospital.

especially those who have parents that are not in a position or able to send children to etc lessons, or able to teach them to be healthy or help them with life skills

So teach the parents to teach the kids - SureStart would be a good start... oh...

I know a lot of families who can't afford to go to the baths themselves

Schools can't afford it without parents paying weekly for swimming anyway.

surely we now need to re-evaluate how much emphasis we place on teaching less vital skills such as French 😂

I do hope you are personally schooling your children in Chinese and Arabic then Op

@FedUpOfYetAnotherCold

AIBU to wonder why children in primary school are taught 'head, shoulders, knees and toes' in French, can tell the difference between metamorphic, sedimentary and ignious rocks, can trace a stone age picture, can create great models of the tower of London, and learn (and promptly forget) all about the Victorians, Romans etc... but...

Quite a few can't swim 25m by end of primary (a skill which could save their life), many barely know what the term 'mental health' means - let alone know how to manage their own or support others with MH difficulties. Most state primary kids are not given access to decent sports provision to support future athletic dreams, better manage in-school behaviour, and promote healthy lifestyle and reduce obesity, and very few kids are supported to learn key life skills. (I'm focussing on primary here - but we also need more life skills like MH and budgeting and cooking etc... taught in secondary)..

Surely we need more teaching in schools on mental health, life skills and better access to sports and teaching which will lead to physically and mentally healthy adults of the future.

When my children finish primary I'd like them to be able to read, write and do basic maths. But in terms of the rest of the teaching - surely we now need to re-evaluate how much emphasis we place on teaching less vital skills such as French (if a language is deemed important why not Chinese, Spanish or Arabic, or something more useful in this current global village) which could be learnt later if desired?

AIBU?

Schools do the things they are measured against, and don't do the things they aren't measured for. Same as any organisation when targets are introduced.

I think parents should be teaching swimming, empathy, budgeting, cooking and general life skills if I am honest.

I think boarding school for all. Every skill needed in life can be delivered. Sorted.

Oh, wait.

On reflection, to all those who seem to think most parents do a great job, it's the parents roll etc... and schools do enough - we still have 1 in 4, rising to 1 in 3 adults experiencing mental health problems in this country.

Perhaps less focus on ox bow lakes, and more on learning skills and strategies to manage low mood, anxiety and regulate emotion would be helpful not just for those at risk of offending, but for all kids so we can reduce the numbers of adults struggling with their mental health.

I think parents should drop children off at the school gate aged 4 and come and collect them once they're 18. Why should parents have to do parenting and teach their offspring 'life skills'? Schools should do absolutely everything. And someone else should pay for it.

Perhaps less focus on gadgets and screens and parents taking their kids outside for regular walks and play would heal physical and mental health too.

Kids Also need to know about social housing, private renting, eating healthy on tiny amounts of money, making ends meet, how to pay a bill, electric meters, the value of money, how to manage on such money

I teach all of this. We have so many hours dedicated to topics such as these that I actually struggle to fit in my actual curriculum that they are examined in

@FedUpOfYetAnotherCold

Sorry if I've offended french teachers!!! I didn't mean to!! My little one loves french!!

I just feel we have our priorities in school wrong. For those kids who have support at home, have no problem accessing swim lessons outside school have parents able to teach them about mental health etc... then I get that learning French can be fun and enriching. But it's not a priority for many kids

I think blaming schools is the lazy option. As I said earlier young people spend a small percentage of time in school. What we need are additional provision to support families and young people. Its more than an educational issue, its multigenerational social issue.

I assume you had a surrogate as you appear to want to outsource all areas of parenting to someone else?

Where is the parental role in this, why is the onus on a school to teach life skills to children rather than DPs?

A school’s primary purpose is to educate not usurp the role of parents. And IMO languages and history are important.

“ A generation which ignores history has no past and no future”

These things are taught. Just because people don't learn it doesn't mean they haven't been taught it.
I've spent a lot of money learning to drive, but can I fuck do it. It just doesn't go in.

I think the issue is it is the DC in the families where the parents can't/won't teach them life skills like dealing with mental health that are most likely to need it. It's a vicious circle.

And what about self defence? That could save a life or two. Road safety? The dangers of social media? Philosophy is good for perspective. Interview skills? First aid - always useful. Programming languages? How to spot a scam? Facebook etiquette? How to brush your teeth? Conversation skills? Epidemiology, virology and how to avoid contagion?

The most important skill to learn would be bluffing, which is what you would need to do if subjects like geography, history, music, languages etc were cleared from the curriculum to make way for the new and improved skillset.

@FedUpOfYetAnotherCold

On reflection, to all those who seem to think most parents do a great job, it's the parents roll etc... and schools do enough - we still have 1 in 4, rising to 1 in 3 adults experiencing mental health problems in this country.

Perhaps less focus on ox bow lakes, and more on learning skills and strategies to manage low mood, anxiety and regulate emotion would be helpful not just for those at risk of offending, but for all kids so we can reduce the numbers of adults struggling with their mental health.

I think probably the whole teetering on the precipice of the downfall of capitalism and ecological collapse has something to do with the mental health issues

People need to know about geology. Talking to kids over and over about mental health might not make them feel better than the mood boosting, self esteem improving feeling of learning and getting better at things.

The kids who can't access learning are usually in that position because their home life is terrible through a mix of feckless parents and a sadistic government set on ripping basic essentials from people.

@FedUpOfYetAnotherCold

Surely some of the onus is on the parents? We have the ability to teach our own kids to swim, pay for lessons etc.

I get that, but many kids don't not have parents able to teach these things or provide lessons etc...

I think, as a pp said, we need a conversation about the role of schools and how we can support ALL kids (not just those privileged enough to have parents able to teach them) to keep mentally and physically healthy and manage to live in society in a compassionate way, able to stay on the right side of the law, and able to live happily and comfortably

I think you raise a valid point, and it would be nice if we could meet everyone’s needs, but we cannot disadvantage the overwhelming majority of the population of the uk in an attempt to improve the life chances of such a tiny minority. (Fewer than 0.1% of the population will offend to the point of imprisonment)

Parents should be responsible for teaching the life skills you mention. You’re right to say that some parents aren’t up to the job, but life is imperfect and we have to accept that some people will just have poor life outcomes.

Because schools are for academic learning? I wanted my kids to be taught Pythagorean stuff, trigonometry, history, physics etc by experts in these areas. I was not an expert in these areas so I didn’t want to teach them. I was more than happy to facilitate swimming, learning about healthy eating, budgeting etc at my end as I was equipped to impart those skills. I appreciate not every parent is and does but I’m stumped as to why it becomes the schools responsibility.

The only way this would work was if you had two different school systems and parents got to pick which one their children entered, academic or life skills. That’s really not feasible.

The other option when combining it all would be to extend the school day to fit in all of this stuff on top of academic requirements. Maybe 9hr/day instead of 6? Not sure that would be a winner either or feasible for those in primary.

OP, you do cite lack of literacy and numeracy as being an issue for people you work with and I believe that one is a failing of the school system. Maybe that’s what the system needs to do, ensure all children are literate and numerate by the end of primary?