When it comes to the National Curriculum, you’ll find I’m very opinionated. Well I’m probably always pretty opinionated, but when it comes to the UK schooling system, I am more so.

I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while, and I was just reading a post on post on UberBusy which inspired me to reply with my thoughts of the system.

Why are we taught such rubbish in school? So many useless lessons, in useless subjects, giving us useless information that we’ll never use. Not only that, but the way we’re taught – to become assimilated into a 9-to-5 system. To be robots to society.

Here’s what we should be taught.
I know you can’t teach ambition, but;
How to set up & run a business,
How to process information (GTD)
Childcare (why are we not taught how to look after kids?!)
Social Skills / Etiquette
Self Defence
Law
First Aid

I may be barking mad, but these are things I consider ‘common sense’, yet a lot of people lack. These are the things we really should be teaching our kids. To me, Childcare is probably the most important. I just find it amazing that we don’t have these lessons.

Social skills and general etiquette are also very important in my opinion, especially with the way so many kids today can only communicate in text speech, and have no idea how to use a knife & fork.

Martial Arts should be a part of Physical Education, more so than rope climbing. For obvious reasons. Martial Arts teach discipline, culture, and of course self defence, which unfortunately, is becoming ever more important in today’s world.

I think the reason we’re taught to assimilate, instead of encouraged to be ambitious, is that the system needs sheep. Without sheep/drones, the system falls apart. Does that mean we have a faulty system, or is it my opinion that’s in the wrong?

[Updates] Forgot to mention Law – Why are we not taught the basics of UK law?! Ignorance of Law is no defence, so surely we should be taught this stuff in school?

Languages – I also think we should be taught at least two other languages, from primary school age. Most other European countries manage to learn practically fluent English and Spanish as well as their own native languages, why don’t we?

First Aid / Healthcare – why the hell are these not taught in schools as standard?