When someone moves out and doesn't know how to do something the biggest excuse is "I should've learned this in high school." People will argue, "no that's the parents' job". While many children do have parents that teach them useful life skills, many do not. Let's face it, not everyone has parents in their home. We have to learn all kinds of other things from Shakespeare to the theory of evolution in high school, why can't we throw in some skills that EVERYONE should know
1. Home Economics
Learning how to sew, cook and clean are skills everyone should learn... not just useful for girls!
Being able to fix your clothes saves a lot of money. Knowing how to cook for yourself and not ordering takeout every day will allow you to have a much healthier (and cheaper) lifestyle. Learning basic hygiene and cleaning tips can also help you have a healthier lifestyle. Basic childcare should also be added to the curriculum.
2. Basic Accounting
Although we are highly computerized now, writing checks is still a good thing to know how to do. Whether you make six figures or six dollars, you need to know how to budget your money. As much as we want to avoid it, adulthood brings bills. You don't have to pay some big shot financial planner to show you how to budget. Often times its simpler than it seems, young adults have just never learned how to crunch numbers that way.
(Also, it is a plus if you can learn how to do your own taxes and not have to pay for that either).
3. Basic Shop
Again on saving money - if you can fix it yourself you'll save a whole lot of money. I'm not saying everyone needs to become a certified mechanic out of high school, but knowing how to use basic power tools is handy. A class could even go as far as teaching basic vehicle maintenance, carpentry, and welding.
4. Career Preparation
A career prep class could allow students to explore various careers and prepare themselves for the future. No matter what field you choose, there are universal skills you will need such as interviewing and knowing the professional etiquette.
5. Basic I.T.
With everything becoming so computerized now, knowing how to use basic computer applications is necessary. It doesn't have to be an in-depth coding class, but teaching Microsoft applications and enhancing typing efficiency would be beneficial for all students.
