20 things that should really be taught in school

You spend 13 years in grade school and, by the time you graduate, you’re ready to take on the world. Or are you? Here are 20 things that should really be taught in school to prepare you for life.




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Gardening

Growing food is a great hands-on way for students to learn about where food comes from, develop healthy eating habits, get some outdoor exercise, and work together to accomplish a goal. With childhood obesity on the rise, there’s no better time for schools to start teaching students how to garden.




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Taxes

Just the thought of taxes brings a shudder to many an adult, likely because they never learned how to do them in school. According to a 2016 study from PricewaterhouseCoopers, only 12 per cent of K–12 teachers in the United States incorporate financial education into the classroom. Everyone must pay taxes, so teaching students how to complete a basic tax return would have lasting benefits. Taking it one step further, it would also be beneficial to teach students what governments use taxes for.




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Mental health

While physical education is often covered, many schools ignore students’ mental health. Yet, since mental health issues often develop during the school-age years, it stands to reason that mental health should be part of the core curriculum. Students could learn coping techniques for stress and depression such as meditation and mindfulness, talk about taboo topics like addiction and suicide, and learn to destigmatize mental health issues at large.




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Consent

At its core, teaching consent is about teaching respect, which can and should be taught at any age. For young children, that may involve teaching the concepts of personal boundaries, the body, space, and touch. For older students, discussions can delve into sexuality, relationships, and communication.




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Voting

It’s often reported that voter turnout is lower than many would like it to be, with countries like the United States seeing about 60 per cent voter turnout in recent elections. Perhaps those numbers would go up if students were taught concepts such as citizenship and participation, learned the history of voting and the democratic process, and took part in mock elections.




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Personal finance

In many countries, household debt is soaring, indicating that it might be time to add personal finance instruction to the curriculum. Learning how to make and stick to a budget, how to save (including how compound interest works), how to invest, how to establish credit, how to manage bill payments—these are essential skills that, if taught in school, would serve students throughout their lives.




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Car or bike maintenance

As we grow up, we need to get around more. We need to get to work, we need to get groceries, we need to take our kids to school. Many of us will drive a car or ride a bike to accomplish these tasks, so it might be a good idea to learn how to maintain our means of transportation. Practical skills like learning how to change a flat tire, change the oil in your car, or replace the brake pads on your bike would foster a sense of empowerment, self-confidence, and accomplishment.




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Cooking

If, by the time grade-school students head off to university, they only know how to make toast, that’s a problem. Like gardening, cooking is an opportunity to learn about food, nutrition, and diet. Cooking is also a skill that students can use throughout their lives. Since food preparation is not always taught at home, it’s important that students learn how to cook at school.




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First Nations history and culture

In many countries, students are not taught about the history and culture of their First Nations, which can perpetuate racism. Students need to learn about the lives of Indigenous peoples both past and present to ensure that crimes of the past, such as slavery and residential schools, and crimes of the present, such as systemic racism, do not persist.




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Cultural diversity

Students should be taught about many different cultures, not just the Western, white male, English-speaking version of history. It’s important for teachers to expose their students to a diverse curriculum that reflects a broader spectrum of society to celebrate diversity and foster tolerance.




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Gender identity

To combat bullying, raise awareness, and encourage tolerance, gender identity should be taught in schools, even to young children. Whether you identify as male, female, transgender, non-binary, gender-neutral, or anything else, gender identity affects us all. Tackling issues head-on can help the next generation learn to be more kind, open, and understanding than previous ones.




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How to write a resumé and cover letter

After college, students will be on the hunt for a job. That’s why it’s essential to teach them how to write a professional resumé and cover letter, how to apply for a job, and how to give a great interview. If a teacher wants to go even deeper, they can get into concepts such as personal branding and maintaining a professional social media presence.




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Media literacy

In the era of fake news, teaching critical thinking and media literacy in schools is more important than ever. Students—and the public at large—consume mass amounts of information online and they need to be able to sift through it all with a critical eye.




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First aid

First-aid training is a lifesaving skill that children can use throughout their lives. If taught in school, these skills would prepare students to help their classmates and family members in the event of an emergency.




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Survival skills

Basic survival skills—such as building a simple shelter, making a fire, tying a knot, fishing, and berry picking—are all useful skills that may come in handy one day. In addition, such skills are great for teaching cooperation, empowerment, and leadership.




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Sustainable living

According to the United Nations, “Climate change is the defining issue of our time.” As such, it makes sense that schools should teach students about sustainable living, covering topics such as fast fashion, active transit, and renewable energy.




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Human rights

Incorporating human rights education into the school curriculum can be a good way to “prevent bullying, discrimination, and promote inclusion and respect for diversity.” Students can learn that, no matter our ethnicity, gender, colour, religion, language, sexual orientation, or any other status, we are “all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination.”




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Home maintenance

Once students leave their parents’ home, it’s time to take care of their own home. Teaching basic home maintenance at school—from changing a light bulb to checking a fire extinguisher—will arm students with practical, empowering skills that they can use for a lifetime.




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Digital etiquette

So much of students’ lives are spent online, making it essential to teach digital etiquette in the classroom. From protecting their privacy to avoiding digital drama, students need to learn how to treat others with respect online, avoid cyberbullying, and safeguard themselves from online predators.




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Sex education

Some schools have ditched sex education, claiming it’s the domain of parents and guardians. But that shouldn’t preclude schools from being an important source of information as well. From contraception and consent to sexting, body image, and STDs, students need to learn about the birds and the bees.




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