What do kids needs from Education ?

[ShaRon2020]

Does UK's national curriculum do justice in terms of equipping our kids with skills and tools needed for 21st-century economic opportunities?

Journalist?

Nope, a parent. Seeking views as I feel there isn't much depth in subjects taught at primary level and teachers are trying to fit in more and more subjects.
Reading about people who have done well in their post-education economic pursuits, it seems to me that lot of them had very little education or expressed that the education they got had very little to do with their work.

IMO the thing they most need is really thorough reading and comprehension skills. If you can read confidently and really understand what you're reading, you can learn anything for the rest of your life.

I do think comprehension in particular has taken a back seat to the mechanics of reading and to the other subjects that are now in the curriculum.

@SilverDragonfly1

IMO the thing they most need is really thorough reading and comprehension skills. If you can read confidently and really understand what you're reading, you can learn anything for the rest of your life.

I do think comprehension in particular has taken a back seat to the mechanics of reading and to the other subjects that are now in the curriculum.

I completely agree with this. Emphatically.

How does one go about inculcating good reading habits and testing their comprehension?
What methods do parents here try?
My child reads only based on her moods and hardly ever discusses it, so we are unable to understand her comprehension skills.

How old is your dd?

@ShaRon2020

Nope, a parent. Seeking views as I feel there isn't much depth in subjects taught at primary level and teachers are trying to fit in more and more subjects. Reading about people who have done well in their post-education economic pursuits, it seems to me that lot of them had very little education or expressed that the education they got had very little to do with their work.

What do you mean by 'economic pursuits'?

Teachers have no control over the curriculum. I don't think you'll find it's teachers "adding more and more subjects".

@toppkatz

How old is your dd?

9

an occupation or job or business, that would enable them to earn a livelihood.

@W00t

Teachers have no control over the curriculum. I don't think you'll find it's teachers "adding more and more subjects".

Indeed... But hey, everything seems to be entirely the school's responsibility these days. Potty training, social skills, table manners, basic common courtesy, you name it... So I suppose that's already four extra subjects that we have to fit in

@W00t

Teachers have no control over the curriculum. I don't think you'll find it's teachers "adding more and more subjects".

Apologies, I meant the govt/board/educational system.

The idea of the thread is not to play the blame game but to crowdsource suggestions on what's needed for the 21st-century world.

1. Reading & Comprehension.

Reading, comprehension and critical thinking (including assessing for bias, motive), basic maths (arithmetic, fractions, percentages), financial management (interest, debt, tax, pensions), health (eating healthily, exercise, sexual health and behaviour/consent).

Microsoft's 21st century learning design covers:
▪ Knowledge construction
▪ Collaboration
▪ Real-world problem solving and innovation
▪ Skilled communication
▪ Self-regulation
▪ Information and communications technology (ICT) for learning

@Namenic

Reading, comprehension and critical thinking (including assessing for bias, motive), basic maths (arithmetic, fractions, percentages), financial management (interest, debt, tax, pensions), health (eating healthily, exercise, sexual health and behaviour/consent).

I believe basic maths and financial management are covered in the primary and secondary curricula. Health I believe isn't given the focus and space it deserves, we have started talking to our DD about health in everyday conversation, not deciding for her but ensuring she considers healthy eating and mental health as important an everyday matter. We have had such debate intense debate about after-school bake sale fundraisers offering doughnuts and cupcakes bought and sold from supermarkets. [am not saying kids should buy and eat carrots at bake sale :)]

Another element that fascinates me is 'relationship management' within classrooms and outside.
A Ted Talk video suggested that a 70+ longitudinal study suggests the people who are happiest and those who have had the most fulfilling life, are the ones who KNEW HOW to manage relationships well.

Research John gatto Taylor has some intriguing perspectives, not sure how correct his perspectives are.

I work with older kids, but we always talk about healthy me, healthy relationships, how to regulate emotions, how to look after our mental health; how others might be feeling, consequences and actions- but then I work with vulnerable kids so that’s my focus

@OnceuponaRainbow18

I work with older kids, but we always talk about healthy me, healthy relationships, how to regulate emotions, how to look after our mental health; how others might be feeling, consequences and actions- but then I work with vulnerable kids so that’s my focus

Surely most of that should be done at home and is part of normal parenting (I understand that the kids you work with probably don't get that, but most children should).

They do too much critical thinking at school these days, and not enough teaching of actual facts. They're not taught how to remember things, but to question everything. That's not going to help you learn your times tables, your spelling or the periodic table off by heart, is it?

Going back to the OP's original question, I suspect that the people who make it big in life without having had much of an education have something else in their favour that can't be taught. Namely ruthless drive, determination and ambition to succeed at all costs.