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

[beesandstrawberries]

We all learned so much in school that we haven’t used in day to day life - I mean when have we ever touched a Bunsen burner since school? But none of us was learned the basics of life and how to navigate it - things like:

• Showing how to do basic meals, cooking pasta safety, use of kitchen appliances correctly
• paying bills
• what a mortgage is, how to deal with contracts and paperwork
• how to meter readings
• change a lightbulb, basic tool use in the home
• how to check fire alarms
• credit card education
• managing money, spreadsheets to manage them
• insurances like life insurance and what ones you need
• education on abusive relationship signs
• things like peer pressure
• how to write formal letters/emails

I think we learn so many things that mean nothing when we leave school. If you teach kids basic life skills from a young age, it would make kids a lot more well rounded and less anxious in the ‘real world’ when it comes to managing money and not getting in debt. Even learning things like the warning signs of abusive relationships to young and impressionable teens as I think if I heard the signs then, I would have know what to look out for to prevent myself from getting in one as an adult.

I remember being in the real world and not knowing how to have good money management and I’m 28 and have no idea how to change a lightbulb. Even education for kids to learn about their bodies, that their outie bellybutton is normal and so are their stretch marks - so they don’t go into adulthood thinking their bodies are imperfect.

Children deserve more than Shakespeare or how to play football in pe. They deserve a kick start to life

They do some of these, such as letter writing, cooking etc. But I do agree that some of these would be helpful in school, but that would require a government change to the national curriculum.

Ideally, yes, parents should teach these things but many don't and their children are the ones who lose out. When we look at childhood poverty, it isn't only about actual pounds and pence, it's around knowledge being passed on, emotional literacy, how to navigate processes such as applying for uni and jobs.

I applied for a highly sought after university course, my state school offered no support at all around doing my UCAS form, interviews etc. My parents didn't go to university, but my older brothers private school had held parent information sessions and given significant support to him, so then my parents could help me. Without this knowledge and my parents effort I would have stood a much lower chance at getting into my degree and therefore my job. Schools should be offering this support to even out oppurtuinity based on ability rather than supportive parents

Bloody hell OP - school is for academic learning, not to stand in for the jobs of parents!!!

If children don't know these basic life skills by 18 then the parents have failed. Schools have more than enough on their plate without parenting children as well.

There are actually certificated courses in life skills - they are aimed at students with SEND.

https://www.asdan.org.uk/setting/send-provision/

What everyone else said. There's a wider point - if your parents can't / won't do it you as a child are disadvantaged by their failure - but really this stuff should all reasonably be on the parents. My eldest is 7 and could tell you what a mortgage is.

I use a Bunsen burner almost everyday at work, but I understand I may be in the minority there 😂
But a lot of those things on your list, I see it as my responsibility as a parent to teach those things.

Trouble is, you can teach something once, but unless it's reinforced, it won't be remembered. That's why we have to revise for exams.

From your list, respectful relationships are explicitly taught as part of the PSHE curriculum. What children see modelled is always going to be significant though.

Maybe we could get parents off their phones long enough to raise their own children?

Surely that is the job of parents.

Fml people really do think they can abdicate all responsibility to poor teachers

As a teacher I know my school covers a lot of these things in Home Economics, maths etc. I recently did a series of lessons about sexual health topics and a lot covered was about changing bodies, shapes, sizes, looks etc.

However I do believe a lot of these things are topics that parents should cover. I remember my dad showing me how to check the fire alarm, I remember setting up insurance for my first car with my parents. I also remember learning about finance in school and discussing credit cards but I know that a lot of people will forget that it was covered.

I absolutely agree op. Yes, it’s mainly the parents job but children listen to teachers. I’m constantly banging the ‘save a bit, spend a bit’ drum to my DD & it just wasn’t working. Miss Ellet said the same to her & she’s now fully on board. I think it’s more important than some of the stuff she mentions they’ve covered in class. I think its especially important about relationships/consent.

Kids learn most off parents then next most off teachers so I think your idea is a great one. Reinforcing what parents are (or ahould) be teaching them.

I do think some of this could be covered at school. Whilst I now have the knowledge for personal finance stuff my single mother did not and I got into a lot of trouble. I was however taught cooking and home ec and that's been so useful although I complained a lot at the time. The reality is (now I have my own teens) kids don't always listen to their parents, maybe they used to listen to grandparents (woodwork and gardening) but many don't have that 'village' to help.

My parents covered all of that and school
covered some. We definitely did letter writing, budgeting, lightbulbs, plugs, cooking, sewing and all the traditional home economics at school.

School shouldn’t be substitute parents.

Why do you think it’s a teachers job to teach your child how to change lightbulbs? Have you heard of a mortgage advisor? Or google? You sound silly calling me passive aggressive while using the word ‘cunty’.

Also many of these things ARE taught in high school, changing lightbulbs was in primary school science in circuits, obviously not a household bulb but it gives the idea. Relationships is in PSHE. Maths obviously gives a foundation to be able to understand mortgages and bills. Life experience comes from personal relationships and living life, basic education comes from school.

It is not just about learning about faith in RE. It is much more about gaining knowledge so that you can understand for example culture, history, music, society and art.

💯 agree! I think this would really help people. It’s ok others saying it’s what parents are for but some parents don’t have the education / ability to teach their kids this. I do my children but I didn’t have this guidance from my parents despite them having great jobs and being educated. So yes I missed out on this and now teach my children.

Doesn’t work if it’s a bayonet fitting, they’re not screw threads. Many light bulbs are not screw threads anymore. You’ve also to consider the voltage as some light fittings use transformers so the bulbs may be 12v or 24v and not 240v.

Ime the rise in home education is down to cuts in send funding and parents being forced into it.

My understanding is that some of this is covered - letter writing, cooking, spreadsheets etc

But a lot is down to the parents - budgeting, paying bills, meter readings. That said I echo pp that this would be a great replacement for RE.

Where did she say it was just the teachers job? She didn’t.

All the things you’re listed are things parents should teach their children.

If you know how to read and write, you can also find them out from books or even social media videos.

Did you never watch someone change a lightbulb in your whole life?

You can’t always compensate for shit parents - unfair on the real ones.

I'd usually be on the side of these being part of parenting, but with the state of parenting these days, school may as well teach these alongside changing nappies, brushing teeth, managing behaviour...

Forget actual academics.

Well she said non of us have learnt these skills. So OP didn’t get this from their parents

Not just this.
It’s a lot to do with behaviour at school (often again the fault of permissive parenting)
You ask Ai to explain what a mortgage is.

A lot of schools use interest rates in Maths lessons. Banks have easy watch videos. Colleges should definitely cover it. But not schools.