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

In the 90s we did all this in a mandatory lesson called ‘Diploma of achievement’ in 6th form. We did it instead of general studies. I hated it at the time! As well as the things you’ve mentioned learnt to budget, do basic checks on a car, change a tyre, wire a plug, write a CV and formal letter

Most of that is covered.

Funnyily enough 15yos don't retain their 2 hour lesson on mortgages and compound interest until they need it at 25+.

But they do teach healthy food options and food tech in schools already….

Stuff I mainly learned as an adult: budgeting and managing money; how to book travel arrangements; most dishes I now cook on the regular - and I cooked a lot with my parents, just prefer different foods; changing fuses and fixing household appliances; most DIY; world geography; how to spot wrong-uns (parents were a good model of a healthy relationship, but that was not very useful in spotting predatory abusers); an appreciation of poetry; Spanish; when to see the GP, change GPs, find an NHS dentist; how to rid a house of vermin; how to de-louse hair. Youtube videos have been game-changing!

You don't stop learning when you get your GCSEs or A-levels. You continue to educate yourself and fill in the gaps.

Thus making it acceptable to be a dopey parent because someone else will pick up the slack.

It took me a while to work out what ‘HTH’ meant.
For a second I wondered if it was ‘hold the horse’.

What if they don’t though?

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

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

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.

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?

Literally the role of parents.

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.

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...

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?'.

OP has clearly never heard of PHSE.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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...

I’d say this is what parents should do?