Should high schools require a yearlong life skills course for seniors?

[msc545]

State Superintendent Chris Reykdal wants Washington’s high school seniors to take a new mandatory, yearlong class aimed at teaching them practical life skills before they receive their diploma, he announced Tuesday.

Students in the state superintendent of public instruction’s proposed “Postsecondary Launch Course” would learn a variety of skills, including how to build a résumé, register to vote and apply to jobs, colleges and the military, among other things.

https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/wa-superintendent-proposes-life-skills-class-for-high-school-seniors/?

[SeekerOfTruth007]

In hindsight, I was in "Advanced" courses throughout high school, yet most of what I learned there, and in college, was useless. I've never used Math more advanced than Pythagorean Theorem on a job in my life, and that was as a Carpenter, and I'm pretty sure they teach that to people in the 5th grade now. Neither do professional Meteorologists use advanced math, even though it's required on their curriculum to get a degree. Why the hell does everyone take Calculus 2 and Differentials in College? Of course, Shakespeare and all English literature is useless unless you are going into Acting. I didn't even find it to be particularly good writing.

[msc545]

You assume that you are an expert in what is needed and not needed in life, or at least in order to make money. I guess. What makes you such an expert that you've decided that nobody needs things that you have decided you didn't need?

[SeekerOfTruth007]

It's on everyone's curriculum, but the only people who use it are rocket scientists.

Besides, I didn't make that up. I've been told by professional meteorologists, "We never use it."

[msc545]

We may not use it, but the actual exercise of learning it is what's important.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

I didn't say I didn't know advanced math. I said I've never had a real use for it on a job. I solved the "missing Mass" of the Crab Nebula Pulsar remnant using only Calculus 1, and that is the only time I've ever used Calculus in my life.

Most people will NEVER use anything on a College Degree program in their lives, because most jobs do not require those skills at all.

My Cousin is a systems administrator for a major data center. He failed Algebra I in high school and had to go to summer school and barely graduated because of it. He never went to university, and dropped out of technical school, because he ended up doing the professor's job for him. He worked at two data centers as a phone support technician for minimum wage for about 8 years before he finally got the good job making over 100k per year (started at 80k per year when 80k was still worth something) and now I think he is making more like 150k on the same job.

He never uses Algebra, much less higher math.

[msc545]

The value or lack thereof regarding what you take in school is not determined by whether or not it helps you in your job.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

You're supposedly going to school to learn life skills in the first place. I have to whole-heartedly disagree with you.

[IknowthatIdontKnow09]

It's a good idea

[purplepoppy]

I'm going to agree with you on this one. We expect parents to teach a lot of stuff but many don't have the skills themselves and the Internet isn't much help because it's been flooded with nonsense.

In the UK kids who go to fee paying schools go much further in their careers and get better jobs early on when compared to state school kids who have exactly the same qualifications. That is entirely down to the coaching in life skills they get.

[goaded]

LMAO! Common parlance in the UK is that "seniors" are pensioners and get things like free bus passes!

Yes, practical education is, well, practical! I'd include a module on spotting marketing techniques (which also applies to modern politics).

Ask yourself if their claim really is what they want you to think they're claiming, or are they saying, for example, "up to X%" (which means any amount above 0%).

[slatyb]

F no. I would be a waste of time for a substantial portion of the class. Why would a student taking calculus and AP English need instruction in basic adulting?

[msc545]

Because you assume wrongly that calculus in English are skills that extend to basic adults tasks and they necessarily do not. There are plenty of people who are extremely good at calculus in English. It also can't balance a checkbook or cook a meal or do any of the adult sort of things that are necessary in our society.

[msc545]

As a very familiar example, I have a doctorate, yet I cannot cook because I've never been given cooking classes, and I've never learned the art of doing it properly. What does that tell you?

[slatyb]

Balance a checkbook? Is it 1980 where you live?

[msc545]

I know people that actually write checks and have checkbooks and balance their checkbooks. Some people are into that shit.

[Sevenpointfive]

all home economics did for me was show me i liked cooking and to wear a condom. and i would be an artist or a doctor.

[AngryCarl3]

No, teaching useful skills goes against the whole ethos of the education system. They should continue to put all their effort into crushing the kids' spirit and forcing them to conform.

[888theGreat]

College needs to help NIL Athletes manage their millions

[Iron_Man]

Yes we can both sign up

[canamlusciouslad73]

Yep.