Originally Posted by JavaBlack

It should catch their attention, not distract them.
The point is that our school system is set up to teach kids stuff for the purpose of tests. Any real-life stuff taught in such a class will be reacted to in the same manner.

Classes of this nature must go beyond and make them retain it... which at the very least requires more than one class, more than one year to enforce retainment.

Originally Posted by Forest119

Anger management wouldn't be a bad idea either. But first we have to get rid of Every Child Held Behind.

Originally Posted by Tarheeler

I think you're right about the testing. Most classes simply require kids to regurgitate information verbatim. They need classes that teach them to gather information, analyze it, and then do something with it. Instead of memorizing, kids need to learn to think.

Originally Posted by paragon

When I was in high school I took some business and economics classes. The teacher talked about credit cards a lot and gave a lot of good advice on both credit cards and investing. Doesn't mean everyone's going to listen to that advice though. Best credit card advice he gave was to pay them off right away and only spend money that you actually have. I personally only have a check card (debit) from my bank. This works great because it is just like a credit card except instead of getting a bill I'm just using money that I actually have. What a crazy concept, using money that you have when you have it instead of buying things on credit and paying for them later even if you have the money.

What I don't understand is how this country got so obsessed with credit and why someone who has NEVER had to borrow money (such as myself) automatically has bad credit since no credit is considered bad credit. I should have perfect credit since I've never had to borrow money for a loan, credit card, or anything else.

Anyways, there are three types of people:
1) Those who learn it themselves/get it before the others
2) Those who have to be guided to learn it
3) Those who will never learn it
And 'it' could be anything.

Originally Posted by Danik

Agreed. I don't think a course that teaches basic life skills would be bad, but one of the biggest issues with education today is that people just don't care. In my opinion, High School graduation rates are more indicative of the growing apathy among youth and parents. While helpful, a course like this may be brushed aside by many because they don't care, or think they are too smart to subject themselves to a course of that nature.

Originally Posted by Raharu Haruha

No Child Left Behind was a terrible act.

Originally Posted by Raharu Haruha

How about you make those arguments when it happens and stop being so annoying?

Originally Posted by Raharu Haruha

I personally think there is a life skills class (no not home-ec) that needs to be implemented. That would be something like a personal life management course. It would teach people how to use a credit card properly with out going into debt. It would teach them how to take out a loan to buy a home. It would teach them how to start a business. It would teach them how to rent, and its disadvantages and advantages. It would teach them how to get a good job, or how to get a good entry level job, and how to gain experience over time. How to research the things they're into and turn those things into money making opportunities. Teach them a lot about unions. People skills.

However, the basics would be about personal financing: insurance, retirement, personal book keeping and credit management.

I think these are the things that most Americans cannot do right now.