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I think classes in simple money management, especially in the how to cook and budget for a healthy life. Balancing a checkbook, budget and how to properly use credit.
High schools in Illinois already had a mandatory course on it even back in year 2000. (Which was 20 years ago! ) We learned about checking accounts, credit cards, refunds, scams, and filling complaints for bad goods/services. Since I took it during tax season, the teacher even handed out copies of the 1040-EZ form, and had everyone fill one out (with all zeroes for SSN's and high school job incomes).
Some Illinois high schools in far outer suburban areas, where sidewalks and public transit are as mythical as unicorns, even have a driver license as a graduation requirement.
These were my thoughts too but I was reluctant to put them down because the world is so different today. In the 1950's I attended Catholic school. The cardinal rules were silence, obedience, no chewing gum in class, and writing between the lines. Penalties were a slap in the face for talking when you were supposed to be silent, having your chewing gum pressed into your pompador and cut off (with your pompador) at the end of the class, and worst of all, calling your parents in to be dressed down by the teacher. If you were bullied, the only solution was to screw up your courage and punch the bully in the face, even if you got beat up afterwards, because it made the bully pick on someone else, and you kept your reputation and self respect.
Lessons learned in life:
Learn to manage your co-workers and your bosses.
Be assertive, but not pushy, stand up for yourself.
Never quit a job unless you have a better paying one lined up.
If you get an opportunity make the most of it.
Don't be afraid to work hard, put everything you have into it.
Anything worth having is worth working to get and to keep.
Spend less than you earn, save the rest.
Never try to impress anyone except with your honesty and personality.
If you have a conscience, use it, it will give you peace of mind.
Don't get ahead at someone else's expense.
Don't be afraid to admit when you are wrong, and don't repeat your big mistakes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit
That's what I learned in USA public school. Violence, lots of violence when I transitioned from country school to town. Wow, we fought a lot. In country school the staff would have cleaned our clock for fighting, or talking back, or lying.
USA public school is in no position to teach life lessons. There is not the stability of meaningful relationships or commitment from staff or students. I learned many of my life lessons from 4H and having parents who insisted we help run their business, including missing meals to make payroll. Getting paid in calves taught me a lot about life... Few yrs delayed compensation, if the calf did not die / get lost / killed by a predator, had to be shot for broken leg or escaping from fence one time too often.
Dairy Farm Boarding School left an impression...on me. Up at 4:30am 7 days / week, and after school sports was 'milking'. Come in at 8pm to eat, do dishes. Shower and have homework done by 10pm. Repeat daily 24x7. But my life lesson came on my 18th B'day when I was assigned full responsibility for my disabled parent (for next 32 years).
I and most of our peers taught our kids to mentor others and to run their own business by age 12. Mine had to design and build their own homes in grades 9-10. From scratch. They did great on inspections. Very diligent at electrical and plumbing. They knew how to weld, rebuild engines, repair body work, cook, shop, build furniture long before they left for college at age 16. Both DS and myself were trained as vocational teachers. Many families had helped each other build homes.
15 yrs following college, none have gone off the track or talked back (yet).
Europe school where teacher follows class for 5+ yrs might influence a few life lessons, but only as there is a trusting and confident relationship built over extended time and circumstances.
- How to balance a checkbook (even though most people use debit cards)
- How to do a budget
- How to create a formal letter and address the envelope (my 30 year old son was clueless)
Major life lessons need to be learned from parents or other relatives who've “been there, done thatâ€.
Obviously with today’s family structure fractured as it is in so many homes, that is not always possible.
As far as learning from the education system, I would say subject such as debt, finance, and investing would be a huge help to many.
Home Economics still existed when I was in junior high. The only thing I remembered doing was cooking sausages and I sewed a cloth bag. Nowadays, that class is old fashioned. I wonder how many schools are left that still teach it.
The class is now called consumer economics and is taught in all middle and high schools in Pennsylvania. It is required for both boys and girls, and covers many of the topics that people think should be taught in schools including cooking, sewing, and household finance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobspez
I wouldn't know where to begin. The lessons I have learned over a lifetime wouldn't have meant anything to me when I was young. Reading, writing and arithmetic covers all the bases.
I agree with this, but would add swimming to the list. None of these life lessons matter if you end up drowning because you never learned to swim.
I agree with this, but would add swimming to the list. None of these life lessons matter if you end up drowning because you never learned to swim.
My high school taught swimming in gym. But it had timed lap swimming and stroke practice. They weren't teaching kids to swim. Someone who hadn't learned to swim as a child is better off enrolling in an adult swim class; most accept high school students, since they're almost adult size, anyway. It's more equipped for that than a high school gym class.
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I agree with this, but would add swimming to the list. None of these life lessons matter if you end up drowning because you never learned to swim.
When I graduated from public high school in San Francisco in 1963 you had to be able to swim the length of a pool in order to graduate. Swimming and water polo were competitive sports in high school in California. In college I took a gym class to be a certified life saver, and spent one summer as a camp counselor which included teaching kids to swim. Having the life saver certificate was required for the job. At one point three kids held on to me and we all sank like a rock in 7 ft. of water. No harm done but it was a scary few seconds for all of us until I shook them loose and got them to the edge of the pool.
The class is now called consumer economics and is taught in all middle and high schools in Pennsylvania. It is required for both boys and girls, and covers many of the topics that people think should be taught in schools including cooking, sewing, and household finance.
I agree with this, but would add swimming to the list. None of these life lessons matter if you end up drowning because you never learned to swim.
Similar in Colorado. Called Family & Consumer Studies, required for middle school in my district with some exceptions. We're a "local control" state with lots of leeway on certain issues, few state mandates. High school requires "practical arts" electives, which include Family & Consumer Studies courses.
Few high schools in Colorado have pools. It's just not that big here.
As far as "relationships" and that sort of stuff that people have brought up, it usually gets covered in health classes. Ditto sex ed.
I cannot see schools spending 1/2 day or so teaching these "life skills". There would be no time for academics if everything people have mentioned were taught.
I think they should be teaching life skills such as sewing , cooking , cleaning , money management how to balance a bank account . How to work towards buying a home . I knew a girl in college who did not know how to wash her own clothing or sew on a button . I found out why later . Her parents had a maid because her mother was handicapped with a bad back .The maid took care of the whole house .I was floored and she always looked at me and asked me how I knew how to do that ? my mother , my grand and my aunts .
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) We learned about checking accounts, credit cards, refunds, scams, and filling complaints for bad goods/services. Since I took it during tax season, the teacher even handed out copies of the 1040-EZ form, and had everyone fill one out (with all zeroes for SSN's and high school job incomes).
