What 5 things should all children learn at school

[Blandmum]

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Taking out behavioural/ social interaction things, what 5 things should all children 'know' by the time they are 16?

basic first aid - I have read truly shocking statistics about how many lives could be saved if everyone had this training

how to run a household which would include how to cook, what to cook, basic financial skills - budgeting, borrowing (yes it might seem like a great idea but credit cards COST)

good written and spoken language skills - including grammar and spelling, how to construct sentences, what a paragraph is, how to marshall your thoughts into something logical and coherent - whether it's an essay or a letter or an article for the local newspaper

information skills - how to analyse information, how to distinguish sources of info - the difference between hearsay, fact, opinion; the difference between newspapers, books, different parts of the internet, even advertising - basically how to be critical

numeracy - a real understanding of how numbers work - not just the ability to apply a formula to convert a fraction into a percentage, or pounds into kilograms, but an actual grasp of what you are doing and why

science - very neglected - people tend to think of it as only for boffins, yet we all care about, for example, climate change, MMR jabs, breast cancer drugs, and yet a lot of us are not realy scientifically literate enough to understand the debates

which is 6 but there simply isn;t one I could drop.

I think I'd also add something on social responsibility - the idea that none of us is an island, that work and socially responsible behaviour is immediately good for us; good for our neighbours, good for the chancellor, good for clean roads and schools and hospitals, which is also good for us directly iyswim - a comprehension of what makes it all go round and why it's so important to do our bit

sorry, I'm a bit ignorant of the english education system, are you implying that by age 16 there are kids who don't know percentage?
please put me out of my misery, I'm worried.

Franca, I have taught sixth form students A level biology and some of them cannot calculate percentages.

Last year one of them told me that the sun was alive.

I have had children of 14 ask me if the moon is really made of cheese (a serious question btw, by a child of average intelegence).

I have had 13 year olds who could not tell me which season came after summer.

lol at the sun being alive. at least they keep you entertained...
well, I'd have a list, but it's probably a bit overambitious

The sun being alive bit left me utterly stunned. The girl had two B grades at GCSE Science!

I said, 'You are kidding me?'

maybe some kind of religious belief????

Nope, she was your bog standard sixth former!

she said it was because they sometimes talk about the 'Birth of Stars' on TV!

Nope, she was your bog standard sixth former!

she said it was because they sometimes talk about the 'Birth of Stars' on TV!

Reading, writing and maths definately. I'm 25 and still struggle with maths . I agree with basic first aid for the older children, cooking/sewing/home skills and the one thing I would most like to see in schools is children being taught sign language

I see MB!
well my list was more on the lines of Issymum's, have to go dd is screaming

Really like Issymum's list. Also think they should now about human and plant biology - really think this should be compuslory like English and Maths.

I like Issymum's list.
Also I would like all children to be able to do at least basic communication (meeting/greeting/ordering a beer) in a second language.

This broadens their horizons immensely, and also reduces the incidence of Brits repeating themselves at higher and higher volume in English at bemused Europeans.