What would you like to see taught in schools that currently isn't?

[EllieRosesMammy]

I'd like cooking to be taught, when I was in school it was taught till year 9 and then optional after that. Plus when it was taught we were making something like scones or bread - not something you'd make every day.

I've met so many grown adults who can't cook and waste a fortune on crap and takeaways, I think teaching people basic cooking skills throughout school would help to prepare them for when they move out :)

@imnotthatkindofmum because of limited choice of subjects I would consider IB instead of GCSE-A level route if my DS turns out "academic".

Cooking? These days it can be learned online. Youtube is full of recipes with videos how to do what.

Basic car maintenance like how to check a tyre pressure, tread depth, oil level etc.
No one taught me (my df didn't think women should drive), with the inevitable results. ☹️

Why would you never go to France.? It's only a ferry ride away. Or 45 mins on a plane.

I'd like to second the suggestion that the history of Ireland and the UK should feature. When I was in year 9, my History teacher had a spare lesson and he taught us about the Troubles. I think maybe he'd done his dissertation on it. It was so educational for a 14 year old growing up in Kent in the 1980s. Finally I knew what all the acronyms meant.

See, I remember that lesson 35 years later!

I am a secondary Maths teacher who also teachers a few lessons of PSHE
Out of the list so far I have taught in the past year

2 x 4 hour first aid courses - developing a whole school plan for next year

Finance/Budgeting/Loans as part of PSHE and Maths lessons

Government spending in Maths/PSHE

Mortgages in Maths lessons

My year 10's were gutting a fish today

I have had many discussions with tutor group about how to verify news stories to check for fake news, how to not just take the headline from whatever newsfeed they are on as the full story.

In PSHE I have covered, relationships, politics, finance, sex and puberty, parenting, consent, sexual harassment - trying to cover this with Year 10's is my hardest lesson on the week, they do not care and I have pointed out how people go on about how they want all these things taught in school, and when we do they don't want to know!

Its late and I am sure I have covered some more of the things mentioned, in my previous school we taught BSL as we had a hearing impaired unit based at our school so we did need it to some degree (we had communicators in all lessons)

@Noodledoodledoo

I was wondering if you took into account the socio economic range of students when talking about such topics?

Taking for example the children of wealthy parents, the view of mortgage s and loans may be a lot different to the children of poorer parents. The wealthier families may need lessons on equity investment if they inherit wealth while the poorer families may need to know how to void extortionate loans.

again with parenting the advice from teachers may need to be different dependent on the wealth and culture of the child's fmamily. Sex and parenting advice to a girl from a strict religious background may need to geared differently to others.

with politics I think this is important but how do you talk about politics without introducing any bias? If you have a class of disadvantaged children commenting on reduction of the welfare state may be sensitive and you would probably end up advocating left wing policies. (Young people do tend to be more left.wing in general )

I still think the topics you describe are at a sensitive interface between school and parent responsibility and you need care when judging how and what to teach.

Of course all of those things are taken into account, same with anything we discuss in life you adjust to your audience.

I don't know individual circumstances but we have enough information to be able to pitch it correctly. We discuss how banks work in general, look at interest rates on payday loans compared with other loans, discuss why they exist and the issues others may have accessing products. Investing massive inheritances is not something I would discuss as its just the same as using a bank but different products - and to be honest that is a parents job not mine.

With politics I have had many a conversation with students and I have never let told anyone who I have voted for. They are told quite clearly that is not part of the discussion as I am not there to influence them but to inform them of how the system works, the general left / right political opinions. I am not overly outwardly political generally so I can have a neutral conversations. After the general election in 2010, I spent a lesson with year 7s wanting to know why we ended up with a hung parliament - I had stayed up watching the results and read lots about it - the numbers and the system is easy to discuss without bias.

Re parenting it more about getting them to think about things in their own sphere - not a dictatorial lesson of you should do this. Highlighting how all families are different, thinking about family dynamics etc.

@Noodledoodledoo

Thank you for the reply

I think ultimately what you said makes a great deal of sense but I still to some extent that financial management (e.g. pay day loans) lessons seem to be weighted towards those who prospectively will have limited finances. I noted from your reply that equity management would not be part of a lesson but difficulty accessing finance would be again with assumptions about socio economic standing (I don't think this is wrong by the way but possibly throws a light on wealth inequality)

I had a colleague who vociferously argued for more basic life skill lessons in school but it was noticeable to that the school in question did serve a deprived community.

Is there a danger that life skills lessons will be given greater priority in comprehensive schools (not grammar or independent?).

I agree with your view of politics and teaching about the fundamentals of government including the role of parliament and elections is important. (Local governance could be included here e.g. councils, health trust boards etc )

If you do discuss politics isn't it difficult though to keep a balanced neutral stance leading a lesson?

Proper, detailed, extensive study of ecology and the environment throughout a child's education. We are destroying the world and Nature and children often have no idea and can not connect anything together. For example- the reason for over-fishing/damaging sea-fishing practices and its effects on sea-birds and other sea animals. The reasons for and effects of massive, intensive poultry farms and their treatment of poultry and effect on the spreading of avian flu viruses which are decimating our sea-bird colonies. Why farmers use insecticides and the government allows them to use ones that kill bees and the impact of the loss of bees. Why killing insects is a terrible thing. The destruction and removal of greenery- trees, hedgerows, fields, lawns, wildflowers and the impact of that- why do people do it, what is it replaced with, what impact does that have?

It's the link between greed, capitalism and the careless, wanton exploitation and destruction of the environment and Nature. We need to understand so we care more and stop it happening and protect our planet.

My year 10's were gutting a fish today

Love that! Did they enjoy it or were they grossed out? DD's class gutted a bag of fish the teaching assistant brought in last year (perhaps she was just getting them to do her dinner prep ) and they loved it.

Not sure, I teach them Maths - they weren't too keen on the idea I have not seen them since!

Yeah I think 10 year olds are more likely to be enthusiastic about that than year 10s!

The finance stuff I tend to look at it from a borrowing money stance, so cover Mortgages, Credit Cards, Loans, Payday loans, Car loans, Student loans etc and get them to consider how much they may cost them. Also discuss what kind of things taking out a loan for would be a good idea. I also discuss Pensions and Life insurance. Wealth management probably doesn't come up as messing it up would probably not cause dire issues like unmanageable debt would!

I have never taught in a Grammar or Indy school so wouldn't know if they focus on that. There is a national PSHE curriculum that all state schools are expected to cover so Grammars should.

I have discussed Lifetime ISA's wth my Sixth Form about starting them sooner rather than later if they are thinking of buying a house in the future and we investigated various different products and which could be suitable.

I have taught in a school where wealth management would have been relevant but wealthy parents are hardly going to thank you for dishing out investment advice (of the kind the majority of teachers aren't going to need! And we'renot IFAs) and people like that have access to the advice they need.

But I think all students would benefit from learning about other financial topics. It's a bit hit and miss how much it's covered but it is there in PHSE and Economics. You don't need to personally need to take out a payday loan, for instance, to gain an appreciation of what they are, the pros and cons and why they're restricted by legislation.

Primary -
Teach music, language, art, drama, basic programming from specialised teachers in all schools.

Secondary -

Develop week long apprentice style tasks which cover multiple subjects, so children can see how the skills they are learning at school fit into the real world and develop team working skills e.g can I sell my cookies, children are given a brief to follow e.g. have to develop vegan cookies recipe, make testers, conduct user research, make cookie/packaging and finally sell them at dragon den style event.

Finance covering mortgages, credit, loans, interest, stock, crypto, isa, scams & money mules.

Politics/ethics covering personal responsibility, how government works, voting.

Health studies covering finding the right exercise/sport for you, mindfulness Inc hobbies to relieve stress and take UC budget for under 25s and use it to make meal plans to put together healthy meals and learn how to cook them.

Careers advice starting from Year 6 after Sats built year on year until end of sixth form covering different types of professions, routes into roles including apprenticeships/start ups, internships etc, qualifications, how to develop soft skills needed.

Primary schooling is not too bad but secondary really needs revamping and dragged into 21st century.

Public speaking, debating, critical thinking - at 45, I still can’t do this, but am amazed at my DC’s ability at a young age.

More exposure to different careers from early on with the possibility for work shadowing.

Voluntary/community work.

Latin, in state schools.

Why?

Personally I found Latin helped me with modern foreign languages and also with English. I think studies support this.

Finances, budgeting, running a household
BSL

Agreed. Latin is a gateway to all kinds of things. It ought to be compulsory at all schools. My DC all did Latin at school (one did Latin A level), as did I, and I am not sorry.

It ought to be compulsory at all schools

You think it should be on the same footing as maths, English and science?

Why not? Latin has been a whole lot more useful to me than a Biology O level. [grin ]