Importance of Skills by Kelsie

Importance of Skills by Kelsie - October 2016 Scholarship Essay

In today's education system, students are under so much pressure over math, English, and sciences. They are expected to learn things like taxes, cooking, how to change a tire, etc., all on their own time. With classes, jobs, and extracurriculars, teaching themselves a plethora of basic skills seems overwhelming and difficult to find time for.

Consequently, if I were a teacher and the roles were reversed, I would design a class made for basic home making and life skills.

Personal finance classes exist, but only on the internet without an actual teacher. There are some family consumer science classes, but they are optional and not guaranteed to make it in that class even if you try.

Students are thrown into the real world knowing that Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin but not knowing how to thaw out a chicken. In today's time it simply isn't realistic to expect students to learn all of these things on top of their already overwhelming schedule, some with no way of learning them.

The core subjects are vitally important of course, but the education system should not ignore the basic life skills that young adults need to be successful and independent. Without these, it would not matter how well they did in mathematics if they do not know how to care for themselves on their own.