#educational-system

Should schools teach students life skills? It’s a question that many people nowadays are asking, and a valid one at that. The absence of life skills education in the U.S. educational system is becoming alarmingly apparent and has not gone unnoticed by students, parents, and even teachers themselves. I conducted a poll in which I asked 40 people, 20 teens ages 13-17, and 20 adults ages 18+, questions about the integration (or lack thereof) of real-life skills in the U.S. educational system. These were the questions:

1. Do you think that schools should teach students real-life skills? 

2. Do you think that your school teaches (or taught) you enough real-life skills?

3. Do you think that students in the U.S. are graduating well-equipped with the skills necessary for their adult lives?

4. Do you think that the U.S. educational system is effective enough as it is?

The results were telling. In the first question, 97.5% of participants said yes. Specifically, 95% of teens and 100% of adults said yes. The rest of the results were as follows:

2.  87.5% of people polled said no: their schools didn’t teach them enough real-life skills                                                                                                             -- 90% of teens said no; 10% said yes                                                                 -- 85% of adults said no; 15% said yes

3. 75% of people surveyed said no: students in the U.S. are not graduating well-equipped with the skills necessary for their adult lives                                       -- 70% of teens said no; 30% said yes                                                                 -- 80% of adults said no; 20% said yes 

4. 57.5% of people surveyed said no: the U.S. educational system is not effective and thorough enough                                                                                 -- 55% of teens said no; 45% said yes                                                                 -- 60% of adults said no; 40% said yes 

The general consensus was that schools in the U.S. are failing to prepare students for the real world and key aspects of life that academics alone cannot guide students through. Many of the participants felt that the U.S. school curriculum was solely focused on academics, rather than keeping a balance between academics and other important life skills. And it seems like they aren’t the only ones that feel that way. “Instead of learning critical life skills on how to manage money, how to negotiate, or how to communicate, kids are mostly taught to memorize information. This is helpful to learn, but not at the cost of not learning critical life skills. Many people put these “life” skills on the onus of the parents to teach their kids, but not all parents are qualified to teach these lessons, and many assume that school is “enough learning.” The school system would be a perfect place to learn these indispensable skills.” (Stephen Guise, “How School Trains Us To Fail In The Real World”). Those participants that answered yes to the last question felt that though the U.S. educational system did a decent job, it still needed numerous improvements to reach its full capacity, namely integrating life skills in U.S. schools’ curriculums. Those that answered no expanded on their answer and said that the U.S. educational system is failing its students more than ever, and largely because of its failure to prepare students for the real world.