Six Things That Should Be Manditory In Public School

The purpose of this blog has always been about not only identifying the problems of society (which in Marxist fashion I lay at the feet of capitalism and religion), but also in providing solutions.

When thinking of society as a machine, we create plans or programs designed to refine operations for a specific function, but a machine is something that is definitively unnatural and prone to periodic breakdowns due to nature. Better instead to think of society as a plant that must be nurtured to encourage natural growth. The "down side" is that you can't control growth, which is a magnificent defense against ego and unnatural conventions.

Education is about promoting change by providing nutritious ideas and allowing the individual to determine their own growth. In other words, the best revolution is not about promoting an ideology, but encouraging thoughtfulness. When deciding what to teach children, our first thoughts are usually of the needs of our society (scientists and mathematicians) but we do not adequately address their needs as individuals.

Below are six classes that I believe should become as ingrained in the American educational system as reading, writing, and arithmetic. They are classes that would not only benefit the students enormously, but in the long run, they would benefit the country as a whole.

Psychology

Why: Psychology is the basest exploration of the brain, which is the entire focus of learning. By understanding our minds and the minds of others, we are better able to express ourselves. When we can express ourselves, we are better able to find equitable solutions to our problems. Psychology teaches us to identify our own harmful behavior while, at the same time, learning empathy for others. Even at the elementary school level, learning basic psychology would help the child to express their issues with parents, teachers, and classmates in a more constructive manner.

In junior high and high school, psychology would be even more valuable. These are, in many ways, the hardest years of their lives and they feel like they are going perpetually crazy. Understanding their own minds would go a long way toward easing their frustrations.

Opposed by: Hell if I know. This is probably most likely to offend people who think psychology is just a bunch of bull or people who think school should just focus on the essentials... but they are going to have a problem with everything on this list.

Nutrition/Health

Why: America is suffering from an obesity epidemic. That is sad on so many levels, but not surprising in a country where it is more natural to eat Cheetos than carrots. Part of the problem is that people know dick about proper nutrition. When I was a kid, you just were supposed to avoid fat and sugar... so people ate a lot of bread and potatoes as filler and stayed fat because they were loading up on carbs. I'm not saying we should put kids on Atkins, but they need to understand what they are eating and what it does. Considering the "super-science" that is the America food industry (produced in Mexico), this class has been a necessity for quite some time.

Not sold? Did you know that the majority of health care expense is due to obesity-related complications like diabetes, high cholesterol, and cardio-pulmonary disorders? Whether we have a government-run or privately-run health care system, the fatties are costing us all more money... in addition to killing themselves.

Opposed by: Big Agra (or the corn lobby) producers of high-fructose corn syrup and the health insurance companies who profit from the aforementioned health care costs.

Philosophy/Religion

Why: Philosophy and religion address questions that no one is capable of answering, but pretty much everyone asks at some point or another. While philosophy itself is not limited to a religious (or anti-religious) context, it explores much of the same area of human experience such as the meaning of life or the nature of God.

Religion, on the other hand, is a bit different. The approach to religion must be from an objective viewpoint as a cultural study rather than a subjective exploration of truth. The reason why religion (more so than philosophy) should be a necessary part of our educational system is that the world we live in is shaped by religion.

In American politics, religious values are central to debates ranging from gay rights to environmentalism. The values central to the religion form the basis for how people think and act. The current (and perpetual) situation in the Middle East also demands an understanding of Islam because understanding is the first step toward peace (this also applies to intra-national political parties).

Opposed by: The religious right, of course. Public schools don't want to teach religion in schools. They have a hard enough time teaching things like evolution or geology ("The Earth is only six thousand years old! The Bible says so!") without talking about the pros and cons of religion, but it deserves honest discussion.

Engineering

Why: This one might seem a little weird, but do you know how your vacuum works? How about your car? Or your computer?

We kind of exist in a world that we take for granted full of magical technologies that we don't really understand. We have become okay with that, but we really shouldn't be. With understanding technology, we are able to make informed purchasing decisions and fix problems. If you let kids leave without understanding how computers or cars work, you are letting them leave without a basic understanding of the two most important pieces of technology in his or her life. That's inexcusable.

Engineering classes should provide class projects designed to educate students to the technology around them including light bulbs, plumbing, electrical generation and distribution, television, computers, cars, and cell phones. There should be particular attention given to the technologies that tend to break down regularly (i.e. cars, computers, and plumbing).

Opposed by: Those who think understanding technology is beneath them. Those who hire people to fix their things while they go to their bigger, more important job. Those who want their children to focus on the marketable skills that will get their kid into a good college so they can tell their friends what a good parent they are.

Also... repair men?

Economics

Why: I think it is positively criminal that in a supposedly capitalist society, economic classes are not mandatory in high school. Economics is central to our lives in both a day-to-day sense and a long-term sense. Aside from the personal budget balancing that all of them will need to do for the rest of their lives, they also need an understanding of macro-economic theories.

Our economy is currently in crisis and major decisions have to be made both on how to save the current financial market and promote long-term stability. The average American has no fucking clue what any of that means, much less how to do it. This isn't to say that they are stupid, but they have no concept of the money at that level. They understand money as a day-to-day necessity, not as an abstract conception made further abstract by dangerous speculation. Why else would they so vehemently oppose any form of taxation, especially when it is a graduated income tax designed to draw money from the wealthy to reduce the contribution of the poor? Because all they know is that "taxes means they takes my monies."

Opposed by: Big business. Just... all across the board. An informed consumer is the enemy of business when business is based on deceit and manipulation. Business studies indicate that consumers are most likely to buy when they are irrational and confused... particularly if they think the product will resolve this condition. Informed consumers make informed decisions.

Also, the "fiscally conservative" because that's just a big line of bullshit.

Life Skills

Why: I was part of a few unique programs in high school and one of them had a class called "Life Skills." Half of the class was just about learning to deal with others (and sometimes, yourself) but the other half of the class was just mind-numbingly obvious things that every adult should know, things like how to look for a job or an apartment.

There are some basic skills that are so necessary that I cannot for the life of me figure out why there isn't a mandatory class to cover it. Most obvious in this should be skills involving looking for a job, a place to live, and how to do your taxes, but this could just be the beginning with other classes involving buying property, how to find different loans, moving long-distances, and whatever else most people do at some point in their life but don't know how. It should also discuss college and (more importantly) alternatives to college.

Opposed by: Again, I don't really know who would oppose this except for people wealthy enough that they aren't going to worry about these things. Some parents might object to college alternatives being taught, but college isn't for everyone and our approach to public education should change to reflect that.