Schools measure the ability to graduate by the amount of core classes a student has taken. Those include math, English, science, and social studies courses. Some schools also require foreign language courses in order to graduate and move onto the next grade levels or schools. But with the newness of college life and adult responsibilities, students often find that they are not at all prepared to deal with the real world. From not knowing how to carry on conversations to cooking simple meals, students are missing out on important life skills that can better their future interactions.
“Some kids might not have the ability to cook or learn other life skills at home, so school would be their only other opportunity to learn,” said senior Ava Mitchell.
Most schools have certain skill classes that are required, such as economics, which is usually taken during a student’s senior year as their last social studies course. But other classes like foods & nutrition are harder to get into because of their high demand. Most students apply for the class every year and never get in.
“I think that schools should do a better job teaching life skills because sometimes it’s only certain classes that teach them, and a lot of kids can’t take those classes,” said Mitchell.
Other opportunities for life skill classes are courses on career development such as resume writing, interview skills, masonry, IT classes, agricultural sciences, even a class on learning how to study would be beneficial for the academic and personal growth of students. FVHS offers some courses that align with these ideas, such as agricultural mechanics, horticulture, computer sciences, masonry, and a few others that are catered to specific career avenues.
Economics is a class that is required for graduation. It teaches students the fundamentals of money and goes in depth on loans, taxes, savings accounts, the stock market, and much more. It is classes like economics and personal finance that help prepare students for their lives after high school and moving into adulthood. It is a very useful course and sheds some light on the confusing reality that is financial independence as you become an adult and learn to live on your own.
Life skill classes help further a student’s ability far beyond academic achievement. They test a student’s ability to be independent and learn how to care for themselves to some extent. Life skills are essential to personal success and should be a resource available to students who may not have that example or opportunity at home to learn about these things.
