A high school is a place of learning and enriching the knowledge of the youth, yet many things are overlooked in today’s high school curriculums! If you don’t know what we mean, here are 19 things they don’t teach in high school but really should!
Basic Cooking Skills
Teenagers who leave school feel lost when it comes to planning their meals and cooking them, so why aren’t we changing this? Humans need healthy, homecooked food to thrive, so high schools should be teaching young people not just how to cook but also the different types of foods and their nutritional content.
Car Maintenance
Many high schoolers will have already gotten their driver’s licenses or are coming close, so we think it should be obligatory for high schools to teach them about basic car care. For example, schools could teach students how to check oil levels, tire pressure and how to change a tire. They’re undeniably useful skills!
Financial Literacy
Although mathematics is taught in high schools, financial management isn’t. This includes how to budget, credit scores, and taxes. Business Insider supports this by arguing that taxes should be part of the high school curriculum as they are such an integral, unavoidable part of adulthood. So, why isn’t this the case!?
First Aid and CPR
Basic first aid should be taught to every young person, especially teenagers in high school, as they are old enough to know how to navigate emergency situations. CPR, emergency responses, and basic handling of common injuries should also be common knowledge for these individuals, as they could save lives.
Communication Skills
While many people learn how to communicate through experience and different job roles, those in high school have not yet been launched into the adult world. They could certainly benefit from learning communication skills such as active listening, conflict resolution, and public speaking, especially when faced with the obstacles of social media.
Basic Home Repairs
High schoolers usually live with their parents, but there will soon come a time when they will live independently. This is why they need to know about plumbing, electrical safety, and wall repairs, as they probably never paid much attention to them in their adolescence. So, why not teach it at school?
Job Interview Skills
The world of work awaits every teenager, which is why they need to be prepared for the inevitable interviews. High schools should also teach students how to create a resume and the questions they will be expected to answer in interviews. Regardless, this currently isn’t the case, which seems ridiculous.
Mental Health Awareness
Psychology Today reveals that mental illness is on the rise in children and teenagers, with rates doubling in the past four years. As these individuals spend most of their time in high school, they should be taught how to look after their mental well-being. Imagine how much happier they’d become as adults!
Relationship Skills
Navigating relationships can be confusing for youngsters who may not have much experience. Therefore, it could be beneficial for high schools to help them understand how to set healthy boundaries in relationships, communicate effectively, and deal with disagreements in a mature manner. We see no reason not to!
Self-Defense
Every teenager should know how to defend themselves in dangerous situations or when they are being threatened. If high schoolers were taught some basic self-defense moves and situational awareness, they would feel more prepared and confident when protecting themselves from attackers or predators, so let’s start today!
Personal Grooming
Children are used to their parents or guardians bathing them or encouraging them to take care of their hygiene, but teenagers have a responsibility to look after their own grooming practices. Sadly, they may not know where to start with this, so we think some self-care classes at high school would be appreciated.
Networking Skills
In the professional world, networking is incredibly important for success, regardless of the field. So, why aren’t young people being educated on this? They need to learn how to create and maintain professional relationships, as well as how to successfully network through social media platforms and reach out to others.
Environmental Awareness
Looking after the planet is important in today’s society, especially as we are becoming more aware of environmental concerns. High school students are no exception to this rule; they should know how to do their bit for the environment, including reducing waste, conserving resources, and learning the impact of climate change.
Positive Body Image
According to Psych Central, teenagers are commonly self-conscious and sensitive about their rapidly changing bodies, comparing themselves to their peers. This is precisely why they should be taught about body image positivity in school and why they should be celebrated for their uniqueness instead of being compared to others!
Entrepreneurship
Not every high school student will immediately go to university; many teenagers are interested in starting their own businesses, so they should know how to launch one properly! Part of this information should include creating a business plan and knowing how to market effectively… it’s baffling that this isn’t already covered in schools today!
Travel Planning
Many young people want to travel to expand their horizons, especially if they’re taking a gap year between high school and college. So, high school is the perfect time for them to be instructed on how to travel safely, avoid tourist scams, and the insurance they must protect themselves with.
Civic Engagement
Voting and government functions confuse many young people, yet they must grapple with them as they become adults. Despite this, these concepts are rarely taught outside of colleges; it’s about time that high schools step up and tutor students about the importance and power of their vote in politics!
Minimizing Social Media Usage
Social media is more popular than ever, and it has a chokehold on our youth, with the New York Times reporting that many students feel powerless to put down their phones at times! This is concerning, so schools need to start helping students manage this and understand the dangers of excessive social media consumption.
Basic Legal Rights
Lastly, knowing and understanding basic legal rights may not seem relevant to teenagers now, but it could be incredibly important for them to comprehend later down the line. High schools should educate their students about navigating the legal system to safeguard themselves and others from exploitation and injustice. They’re doing the youth a disservice by ignoring this!
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