I’m a huge proponent of practical, real world learning in addition to our core school subjects. Some aspects of living (e.g., financial concepts and their relevance to our daily lives) should be taught in schools and at an earlier stage. (I also think teachers’ salaries should be 6 figures, but that’s another issue for another time.)
This article cannot be more on point. It argues these 7 topics should be included in the school curriculum.
- Taxes
- Budgeting and finance
- Computer coding
- Emergency medical training
- No-BS sex ed
- Cover letters and resumes
- Sustainable living
- (Bonus: Splitting checks at restaurants)—though I am personally obsessed with Tab and never intend to do math again.
Even kids today are recognizing the value of learning life lessons that actually matter and that apply in the real world. In a 2011 Teens and Money Survey, 86% of 16 to 18-year-olds responded that they’d rather learn about proper spending in class than screw things up later on. Just as most schools have in place a foreign language requirement, the language of computer programming is arguably more useful than Latin or Greek. (Disclaimer: I took 7 years of Latin. Aside from an ever-present feeling of intellectual superiority, it’s served me no purpose.) And, unless you’re a self-hating cynic like me, you purportedly care about the survival of the human species. Teaching sustainable living early on in schools can result in generational shifts in lifestyle choices that will impact the longevity of humanity.
Real talk.
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