What should our children learn at school?

[JLeigh29]

Great question! I agree that Literacy and Numeracy are the foundations of any education. Critical Literacy and Information Technology are essential also. MaryDean put it beautifully.

Not so sure that teaching 'life skills' has to be at the expense of the more 'academic' subjects though... both have real and tangible benefits imo. I sometimes think providing an introduction (or the option to do this) into a more diverse range of subject areas would be beneficial so that students learn more about what is out there and what kinds of areas they could delve more deeply into (whether for work or pleasure). I sometimes wonder whether I'd have chosen a different career path (or those around me would have) if we'd have known more about what different options were out there (in all honesty, as a teenager, I basically thought it was tradie, lawyer, doctor, teacher or hairdresser and that was about it! )

Ooooh, it's a curly question and I'm not sure there is even one 'right' answer...

[Astrid]

Not so sure that teaching 'life skills' has to be at the expense of the more 'academic' subjects though... both have real and tangible benefits imo. I sometimes think providing an introduction (or the option to do this) into a more diverse range of subject areas would be beneficial so that students learn more about what is out there and what kinds of areas they could delve more deeply into (whether for work or pleasure). I sometimes wonder whether I'd have chosen a different career path (or those around me would have) if we'd have known more about what different options were out there (in all honesty, as a teenager, I basically thought it was tradie, lawyer, doctor, teacher or hairdresser and that was about it! )

.

So true, there are so many professions out there that we just never got to know about.