What should children learn in schools?

Good question! Obviously reading and writing. More conceptual things like good manners, tolerance and respect. Maths but also budgetting money and an understanding of financial matters. Interest, loans, mortgages, credit, etc How your country is run - the electoral system, who decides what is spent. How to make your voice heard Plenty of health, nutrition and fitness. Science - should focus on our environment History - what has made us what we are

My children are grown and have their own kids, who are quite intelligent and learn well. As for adding new subjects, I think Mandarin should maybe be a "choice" subject, as not all children will be interested enough to learn it. Maybe the odd one or two who want to work in travel, or perhaps travel the World for some reason. I can't see that it would be a beneficial subject for all. I agree with the three Rs system being maintained, and perhaps expanded but as for Maths and Finance, I think Maths could be split into basic and advanced, and leave it at that. Again, not all children will want to follow a career in finance but basic money management would be helpful to all of them. It's a fine line really, and the schools will never be able to cater for every individual child's learning needs. I think that if they want to follow a specified curriculum after their fourth year at secondary school, then there should be another stage added to secondary education, whereby children can opt to continue on to advanced secondary education with choices of subjects. Brightest Blessings.

Besides the knowledge, there are many things for children to learn in the school. Such as they have to learn how to respect others and having a good spirit. They learn the subjects and they also learn to explore the world. They learn how to get on well with each other. Here we don't have a finance subject in the primary school and high school. There may be such a subject in the university but it depends on your mainjor.

Personally, I think that all schools should teach reading, writing and math. Also science the basics at the very least. After all, understanding science is key to understanding how life happens. A foreign language should be mandatory. As should at least one fine art (though the kids should be able to choose what appeals to them). I think that schools that eliminate fine arts eliminate creativity. Physical and health education is important as well, but I think these days it should include more on eating right and getting into good exercise habits than it did when I was a kid. Finance is probably a good thing for older students. When I was in high school, I took a class in business math. There were a few things that I learned that are very useful. The proper way to balance a checkbook, for example. I also learned to do my taxes. As a matter of fact, one of our tests in February involved doing our taxes in class. We mailed our forms in from the school office. A class on finance should also include making a household budget, and things like that.

I am pretty happy with our public school curriculum here in Maryland except for 2 things. I feel we need to encourage more physical education and courses covering personal finance. With the growing obesity rate in the US the kids need to find a way to get fit they enjoy. Plus, kids entering college are offered so much credit and very little knowledge on how to handle it.

I do think that reading is very important for all children to have, and learn in school. But I would like to see kids learning more about what life is going to be like once they get out of school, or if they happen to leave early, y'know? We should all learn how to pay bills and understand taxes, and how to use a credit card or read a map, things that we will actually need to know growing up. I do agree with having more languages in school too, and not JUST the language, but the whole culture and way of life as well =] I go back and forth with wanting to have religion in the schools. I think that if one religion is available, they all should be, or as many as possible, so that children can have a greater knowledge of people who may be different from them, and why people do the certain things that they do, also they would be able to choose the religion that the think would be best for them.

Children should definately know the basics.

First off, they need to respect the teachers first. Then I think they should be taught a language in the early grades. Reading, writing and arthmetic seem to be a thing for the past, so I suppose more computer skills.

I do not work in a school but went t plenty of schools in my life time. I think it would worth the kids' while if they are taught things that they are going to use for the rest of their lives. Useful things I might add.

I think having a choice in what you learn in school is always a good thing. Like... it's ok to make you take a science class, but allow you to choose what type of science you would like to take sort of thing. Personally I think common sense and more things about the real world should be taught. I mean, I guess you can't really teach common sense, but still. I think morals and values would be something to learn about too. I think so many people don't have these. Granted they are also things their parents can teach them but I don't know... does a kid whose beating the crap out of some other kid in school everyday know much about morals or values? I think reading and writing should be a main focus. They are crucial to everyday life. I think things that can really be utilized when you are off in the real world are really the more important things to learn. I can't tell you how many things I learned in school that I've yet to ever use in real life.

Hi, well personally speaking beside just the curriculum that you talk about there is alot more we would want from a school that our child is going to , firstly some form of discipline, in their daiyl life, in their work, etc. Also the regularity with their studies and other activities. They must learn the true values and principles, which has to come from their teachers, who turn role modles for the kids within no time. The school must make them proper human beings over all. Yes i am a parent and a teacher too, so this is what i preach and expect the same from my kids as well. Curriculums and syllabuses willcome and go and keep changing, but these things that i just said are something that once instilled into us, will always remain within us, no matter what.