20 Subjects That MUST Be Taught In Schools But Aren’t
1. Household Organization And Cleaning
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Learning more about household organization and cleaning would be such a useful course to teach in school. Students could start with something simple like organising their sock drawer and going on to learn about minimising garbage and paper waste. A lesson could be included into shopping for good quality household appliances which will stand the test of time rather than cheap, throw-away items.Advertisement
2. How To Cook
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Many schools do have Home Economics as part of their curriculum but being instructed to make tuna melts and chocolate brownies doesn't quite cut it when thinking about a balanced, healthy diet. Students should be taught about food groups and a couple of recipes that fall into each of these categories.Advertisement
3. Managing Personal Finances
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As adults, doing taxes correctly, understanding about budgeting and learning about banking are all essential skills but most schools would not think of including these topics in a learning program. It could help kids manage their money and not get into debt when they are out in the big, wide world.Advertisement
4. Importance Of Honesty
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Parents may have raised their kids into always telling the truth but school situations could change this. Between being excluded or bullied or the peer pressure, it’s easy to lose sight of honesty and start to lie about who you are and what you believe, in order to fit in with others. Schools should teach children honesty in a way that makes it cool.Advertisement
5. Basic Home And Tool Repair
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Having a house or apartment is is the ultimate dream for many teenagers and young adults, whether they do this by renting or purchasing. It wouldn't enter their excited heads to learn about the responsibility of basic home repair and tool proficiency. Knowing how to do simple DIY could make all the difference.Advertisement
6. Scientific Talk About Sex
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Obviously, sex education is discussed in schools but how well done is it and how confused does it leave pupils? Sex education should maybe go back to being more scientific, leaving out ultra-woke stuff for a different discussion. Teachers could stick to biology, body parts and facts.Advertisement
7. Looking After Our Planet
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It’s never too early to teach both kids and teens how to look after our planet in every day, practical ways, not just by bragging about only buying eco-conscious clothes or subscribing to a save the whales foundation. Teaching students better ways to reduce waste at home and recycle, learn about toxic chemicals and pollution and to eat responsibly would all be beneficial.Advertisement
8. Basic First Aid
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It's surprising that basic first aid is not automatically taught in schools and it absolutely should be. This includes CPR, the Heimlich manoeuvre, bandaging wounds and recognizing a common medical crisis. These lessons could seriously save someone's life.Advertisement
9. Nutrition And Self Care
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We've touched on teaching kids nutritional values and the benefits of it. This could lead on to discussing body image issues and eating disorders, falling into the category of self care. Students being able to express themselves, if they are experiencing such issues, helping their mental health.Advertisement
10. How To Overcome Failure
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Life for everyone has its ups and downs and not all of us have the community support network or belief systems to help us get back up. School could play a more central role in bringing in motivational speakers and heroic individuals to inspire students with stories that will energize them and hopefully leave a lasting impression.Advertisement
11. Responsible Phone Use
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One of the things that should be definitely taught in schools is responsible phone use. They could teach children how to use their phones responsibly and avoid the very real risk of phone addiction, eyesight damage as well as poor posture. This would take the pressure off parents who might feel they are speaking to a brick wall when they approach their kids on this matter.Advertisement
12. Caring For Animals
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Whether you have a pet or not, it is an excellent skill to be able to care for animals. Schools should teach students the basics of animal care and how to feed pets. Learning more about our furry friends goes towards being better stewards and inhabitants of the planet.Advertisement
13. Friendship And Moral Values
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This can be a tricky one because people will say that education does not include the business of instilling morals and that it is up to families to pass this wisdom on to their kids. As many children come from broken homes, moral wisdom is going to have to come from teachers.Advertisement
14. Different Views Of History
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You may be reading this from the United States, Canada, Europe or any other nation on earth. It's true that school systems vary all over the world although each country will teach history from their own nation's perspective. Understanding of conflict and subjects like racism, conquest and competing economic systems could broaden students' outlook.Advertisement
15. Negotiation Skills
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Negotiations do not have to involve life threatening events. Opening a bank account and deciding which gym to join are two examples of negotiation and getting the best deal you can. If these skills are taught in school, it could improve confidence in kids and lead to success in the future.Advertisement
16. Climbing, Kayaking And Outdoor Sports
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The majority of schools have some sort of physical education and sports program going on but outdoor sports are not focussed on as much. We are talking everything from climbing to kayaking. For a water thrill, white-water rafting could be recommended. Outdoor sports get the cardiovascular system pumping and help build muscle.Advertisement
17. Learning More Computer Programs
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A core component of many curricula these days is learning your way around computers but the range of programs tends to be relatively small. Kids could dabble in video editing or architecture design programs. If funding is there, there is so much potential to tap into.
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18. How To Start A Business
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It's true that starting a business isn’t easy by any means and regulations seem to keep piling up. With all this red tape it can be hard to motivate the next generation of entrepreneurs so more business education is required in high schools to instil drive and ambition not being mowed down by hiccups along the way.Advertisement
19. Handling Job Interviews
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Even if you leave school or university with a bunch of qualifications, you still need to cut it at that job interview. Interviews can be scary experiences so the solution could be schools teaching more on acing it. Lessons could cover the time from the handshake through to the job offer.Advertisement
20. How to Fix Bikes, Lawnmowers And Vehicles
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The two modes of transport which many of us use most of the time are vehicles and bikes. We also use things like lawnmowers, hand pushed or ride-on. When these break down, we usually take them somewhere to be repaired and it can be costly. Teaching students how to mend them can both save money and be a huge confidence booster.Advertisement
21. Using Social Media Responsibly
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Once your kids have learned about mobile phone usage, then it's time to think about using social media responsibly. Cyberbullying, unfortunately, adds a whole new level of anxiety and cruelty. Students getting addicted to perfecting their image online is another issue. Schools would do well to address these in the form of lessons.Advertisement
22. Basic Sewing And Tailor Work
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The problem with clothes, shoes and bags etc is that they can rip and break. Instead of throwing them in the trash, teaching basic mending and tailoring would be an amazing skill for students to have. This means there is less stuff to end up in landfill, a massive problem at the moment.Advertisement
23. Learn How To Care For A Sick Loved One
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One of the saddest facts of life is that people you love are likely to get sick at some stage. It could be a massive plus point for kids to learn even the basic issues surrounding medication, medical care or renting medical equipment, at school. It could prove invaluable.Advertisement
24. Encouragement Of True Diversity
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We keep hearing these days how diversity is our strength. Real diversity includes people from different walks of life. This includes those from groups you may find unfashionable, backward or silly. Schools should be encouraging pupils, teaching true diversity to avoid ignorance.Advertisement
25. Religious Literacy
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Although some schools teach about world religions, it tends to be on a surface level about facts and figures. Religious literacy should not be just about names and dates or how many people of a particular religion live in a certain country. lt should be about understanding the root of religious beliefs and theology.Advertisement
26. Different Ways To Look At Success
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As far as small talk goes, speaking about your current employment or career is an ice breaker but defining our identity and success by how much we are earning is somewhat shallow. Schools should teach students different metrics for defining their success to make them more rounded individuals.Advertisement
27. Democracy Education
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Democracy is not an automatic process that magically happens. It takes participation, education and knowledge of our rights and freedoms. It’s a good idea to start kids off early, preferably at school. They should be taught the basic rules of how voting works and the core principles of a democratic society.Advertisement
28. Corporate And Business Accountability
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Many of you will recall the 2008 financial meltdown. People were shocked to hear banks were passing out subprime mortgages and tanking the economy, all in the name of making humongous profits. It would be so beneficial for students to learn the basics in school of corporate accountability and responsibility.Advertisement
29. Meditation
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Meditation is one of those things that gets so much better the more you engage in it. There’s no need to be perfect or meet someone else’s expectations but there are techniques which can make it much more effective and beneficial. Teaching meditation to students could raise future generations of happier, calmer people.Advertisement
30. How To Detect News Bias
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Looking critically at popular culture should be done in school and the same goes for the news. Students may have opinions about how the left-wing or right-wing cable news is biased or the way certain tabloids skew certain directions. Pupils should be taught to recognize bias and misinformation in the news.Advertisement