3700 Life skills that should be taught in schools

Just a thought.

Why don't schools teach all teenagers to touch type nowadays?

In the dark old days, ... double-typing was an important part of a (teenage girls) weekly time-table, unless of course you were considered 'clever', and then you had double-biology instead - because you were expected to become a nurse instead of a secretary :rolleyes: Please remember this is a girls school in the 60's I'm talking about.

No joking. In this day and age of computer literacy, I can't think of a more important skill that would help teenagers with exam course work and, more importantly, improve their chances of employment. Plus of course there's the added benefit that if you can 'touch-type' you're bloody quick when it comes to participating in a chat room. Hey, what an advantage ;)

Why is it not taught anymore? Is it because it's considered 'too boring' a skill for teenagers to learn? That it would take a too much application and practise?

Yep! I can remember 'plonking' away in my double-typing class bored to tears. But in retrospect what an advantage touch-typing has turned out to be.

O.K. That's me off my 'soap box' for tonight. What other life skills do you think should be taught to teenagers nowadays?

Go on, start me off on 'Home Economics'. I could start a whole new thread on that one :)

Category
Circolo di Conversazione

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/19/2006 - 19:56

I think you're right there Sue, many kids don't seem to understand food at all. Bugeting would be a good one, no more designer cloths when you haven't got the money! My 22 yr old and 19 yr old are most upset that they can't afford just what she want! :D

As for typing I did my pitmans but still useless! :)
It is a useful skill though.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/19/2006 - 23:28

I reckon a week reading this forum is all anyone needs to do in order to become fully qualified in life skills.. but hey, what do I know?

I did double biology and a 6 year course in tai pan humour.. not always appreciated, but at least I learnt how to dissect a frog!

Now, thats a life skill that has always come in useful.
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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 04:29

Having always been the capable one in our household I decided that my daughter would be my revenge on men!!

Thus she can't sew, use the washing machine, iron or cook.

Even Her cookery teacher gave up and in the end she basically took in ready meals!!

Her one thing that she always felt she could manage however was flapjacks and on the rare occassion when she had to produce something from scratch that was her best dish. That is until one time that will go down in family folk lore.

Having made the said flapjacks my daughter and son walked home together from school.

Stuart went to have a shower and when he came out he saw what he thought was a sample of Laura's culinery prowess on his bed so he callled his thanks to his beloved sister who replied "but I haven't put a flapjack on your bed"

On closer inspection it would seem the cat had been sick in a neat little pile!!

Needless to say we now call flapjacks "catflaps" and Laura has given up any ideas of opening a little tea room anywhere!!

Jackie

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 05:25

Hey is that a new space ship I see there Anastasia? Getting back to school "basics" tho' - I was taught shorthand & typing at school and although I rarely used the shorthand as audio typing was the thing, I did find it useful for taking telephone messages down. With the typing also book-keeping that I was taught I made my career in offices all my working life & have to say I loved it, eventually becoming a P.A. Plus the salary was always good. You also had to be able to spell, which these days the young dont seem able to do & of course the computer can correct spelling these days . Time marches on I guess. .

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 05:33

Jackie

I'm sure your daughter does double-biology - ask her if she wants to learn how dissect frogs! Mia figlia has daily lessons on our kitchen table.. bring Laura anytime you want!

The two of them can happily chop away while we discuss the interconncetedness of the forum, but you have to bring your own shortbread.
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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 05:44

Nice story, Jackie! :)

I learnt to touch type / audio type during my translation studies after having finished school. Like Rina, we were taught typing and shorthand (German and English argh!). This was required to pass an exam after 1 year to become something called 'economic assistant', probably close to a PA. As I opted for full translation study, I managed to opt out of the shorthand classes as my grey cells just didn't come to grips with the idea! Typing, however, I found (and find) very useful, as were the lessons in grammar and spelling!

Having worked in HE/FE for the last 8 years, I find it increasingly worrying that students can't spell properly. And our lecturers get more & more worried about how to mark assignments with many errors as they're supposed to focus on the content rather than the presentation...

It was also interesting to discover the quality of job applications during the first interviews I gave as a prospective employer back in December. We were looking for an administrator and the differences were glaring. While some made real efforts to present a nice looking application, you could see that others were just filling in forms for the sake of it - littered with spelling mistakes. Not the best pre-requisite for a job that requires accuracy methinks...

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 05:52

[QUOTE=Rina]Hey is that a new space ship I see there Anastasia? Getting back to school "basics" tho' - I was taught shorthand & typing at school and although I rarely used the shorthand as audio typing was the thing, I did find it useful for taking telephone messages down. With the typing also book-keeping that I was taught I made my career in offices all my working life & have to say I loved it, eventually becoming a P.A. Plus the salary was always good. You also had to be able to spell, which these days the young dont seem able to do & of course the computer can correct spelling these days . Time marches on I guess. .[/QUOTE]
It sure is a new space ship Rina! Tinks built two or three recently. Let me know if you fancy a ride one day and I'll get ask him to take you for a spin, as he is the only one who can really get it to fly.

Back to basics - now we know why you will keep winning the Sunday quiz, but there's nuffin wrong wiv being dislecksifickle 'cus it dont meen yer fick.. and talking of quizzes..
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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 06:17

Trouble is they don't dissect frogs in school nowadays. Instead on a designated daY the whole class has to take a heart in for dissection - great news for the local butcher!!

I remember frog dissection at school - our school lab assistants kept tanks of frogs spawn for the annual frog fest!! One year some budding animal liberation bod let them all out and the science block was overun with frogs for days!!

We weren't allowed to opt for typing and shorthand although on a womens return to work course after the kids started school I did "IT skills" which means I can now turn on the computer and type with four fingers!!

My colleague uses shorthand for taking notes which is fine except when she's away and noone can understand what she's written!

And another thing!! I hate text shorthand - I have no idea what it all means and get very frustrated when my 76 year old mother uses it when texting me!!

Gosh I sound like one of those grumpy old women on the telly!

Jackie

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 08:20

Huh! Jackie C, does your 76 year old mother use 'Speed Writing'. Any one remember that? It was the equivalent of Pitmans Shorthand in the 60's.

You must have been one of the 'smart kids' if you weren't allowed to opt for typing and shorthand at school. Me? They couldn't wait to elbow me out of biology and science and into 'business studies' ... aka ... the 'rebels' class ; )

Rebel without a cause? No indeed ! I'd left school and had taken off for Italy by the age of 15. My parents were distraught : (

Needless to say, that as I've matured I've been making it up to them everysince ; )

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 08:28

Sue

You've always been way ahead of your time! I didn't do a bunk until I was 17! Seems my parents are grateful.. as I'm still on the run!

:D :D

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 08:28

Ok, a little off track, but in the news lately is the NEW school meals plan?

But its not new! its only common sense, and i still recall being able to get
a salad, or a proper meat and two veg [no chips] as late as 1979,when i left
school.
So in reality, all thats being done is turning the clocks back 3 or 4 decades.

I think you can apply this to typing as well, because sooner than latter some
bright spark will make the surgestion that computer courses,will have a section built in so that people can type with more than two fingers!

No doubt it too will make the headlines,and the person bringing up the idea
will be applauded, for doing nothing more than recalling a skill thats has been
deleted for the school curiculum!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 08:32

Sigh.. Gianni is right again!

History just keeps repeating itself (one of my favourite lessons)

:) :)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 08:42

What about woodwork?

Don't know a fella that can fit together an Ikea flat pack without 'effing and blinding' and always having screws and other bits left over?

Do Ikea do it on purpose by putting extra fixings in just to make us feel deficient? Or do our men need 'Mr. Wiggins' the woodwork Master to whip them into shape?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 08:49

Your school must have been terrible! Didn't they teach you not to shop at Ikea.. not even for the three pebble print?

Go to B & Q woman - it's just on the bypass near Tesco's in the North end!

:D

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 08:58

Hello Susan P,

yes I too wonder if they still teach basic woodwork in schools these days. All basic skills like carpentry and woodwork will always be needed, especially with all the flat-packs you mention that seem to take twice as long to put together, never mind the cussing and swearing over bruised fingers and thumbs!!
Which leads onto another life skill. What about basic first aid skills?
I have to go on a training session next week to do with work, and am a little apprehensive, but I think if people learn some basics when they are younger, it may give them confidence if having to deal with a minor emergency. May even save someone's life.

Francesca

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 13:18

I'm fine with Ikea flatpacks... have over 15 years' experience with them so my other half usually leaves them to me... :D

Agree that many essential skills aren't being taught anymore... that's why there are so many 'rogue traders' out there who rip you off for something otherwise fairly simple - there's hardly any competition! A good, reliable carpenter or plumber is very hard to find and they can charge the earth. Good for them but bad for the rest of us...

However, there are hundreds of IT graduates having to accept jobs for £11k as companies can take their pick...

A world upside down there methinks!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 14:23

Hi Stephanie,
yes, I agree with you, definitely a world upside down.
Schools need to bring back basic skills, otherwise without them where shall we be? Like a fish out of water no doubt.

Francesca

[QUOTE=Iona]I'm fine with Ikea flatpacks... have over 15 years' experience with them so my other half usually leaves them to me... :D

Agree that many essential skills aren't being taught anymore... that's why there are so many 'rogue traders' out there who rip you off for something otherwise fairly simple - there's hardly any competition! A good, reliable carpenter or plumber is very hard to find and they can charge the earth. Good for them but bad for the rest of us...

However, there are hundreds of IT graduates having to accept jobs for £11k as companies can take their pick...

A world upside down there methinks![/QUOTE]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 15:18

Did someone mention flapjacks? - Sorry realise it says flatpacks- phoo - almost broke out in a cold sweat then (where's the cat?)!!

The reason kids can't change a light bulb is becasue schools are so obsessed with results and league tables that they don't want to have what I think used to be called vocational studies on their curriculum.

That combined with all the rules and regulations for employing youngsters on building sites etc means that the kids who aren't academic end up being left behind whilst the academic ones are fighting each other for the best graduate jobs and therefore swamping the market.

Don't know what the answer is though?

jackie

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 15:33

Talking about woodwork classes, my daughter 22, so been a few years since she left school, made this amazing wooden kids toy with little cut out mice. When you turned the handle, one bobbed up and down, another would spin round and a third rocked. I thought it was brill but I would she's my daughter! :D

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/20/2006 - 15:43

[quote=Susan P]Huh! Jackie C, does your 76 year old mother use 'Speed Writing'. Any one remember that? It was the equivalent of Pitmans Shorthand in the 60's.

You must have been one of the 'smart kids' if you weren't allowed to opt for typing and shorthand at school. Me? They couldn't wait to elbow me out of biology and science and into 'business studies' ... aka ... the 'rebels' class ; )

Rebel without a cause? No indeed ! I'd left school and had taken off for Italy by the age of 15. My parents were distraught : (

Needless to say, that as I've matured I've been making it up to them everysince ; )[/quote]

How many 15 yr olds would have the gumption to take off to Italy! This must have given you many skills that would never have been taught in school and to me far more valuable throughout your life. I was a coward and wouldn't even do my nurse training in London, let alone go abroad when I was 18!