WHAT SCHOOL DOESN'T TEACH YOU BUT IT SHOULD

Although I have almost completed my time in education, there are still many things about the world that I don't know but I need to know. There are a few fundamental things that you don't learn in school but you really should. It's a common thing found on social media for people not to value learning about algebra and trigonometry for example which I completely understand but if we didn't learn about this in school, we wouldn't have many mathematicians as how would people know what they would be interested in if they never actually knew what is was? As well as all the standard lessons, life lessons should also be given as part of the curriculum as this would be of value to everyone as everyone has to have a job (unless you're very lucky and are born into a wealthy family), everyone will have bills to pay and budgets to do but also things of importance about the government, the economy and general world issues.

Job Searching

One thing I was never taught in school was how to actually job search. I vaguely remember in my Guidance lessons when I was 16 (which I only had once a week which isn't enough) being told to spend a few lessons writing a CV  but I wasn't told how to write a CV and what is required on a CV. All I remember is a class of students each sat at a laptop, with most students probably playing games rather than actually attempting to write a CV, and the teacher sat at the desk doing their own thing, totally oblivious to what the students were (or were not) supposed to be doing. Not only did the students think these lessons were unimportant but it seemed as though the teacher didn't either. What a waste of a lesson.

These lessons should have been one of the most important lessons that I should have ever had to attend as they should be in place to actually set students up for the adult world. Alas, it was not. Professionals as well as newly employed people should have been brought into the school and given talks based on  their experience of going through the whole job searching and interviewing process as well as any tips and mistakes that they have learned from along the way. Examples of good and bad CVs as well as help from the teacher should have been a major part of these lessons as writing a good CV is the initial stage in the whole job application. I instead had to ask family members, which I probably would have done nevertheless, as well as searching on Google for tips. I'm sure my school isn't the only school that misses out on giving out these vital lessons to their students but lessons on the whole job process should be a necessity in the curriculum for everyone.

Money Management 

Managing money is something that you learn as you get older but I think the basics should be taught in school. For example, the difference between debit and credit cards, how to budget successfully and what a credit score is. When I started University, I had to learn how to budget properly. Fortunately in first year, my loan for my rent went into a separate bank account so I never owed rent at any time but the money I had to live on was in a separate account which I had to balance between going out, food and my general well being as well as the occasional shopping spree of course. However, in second year, all my money went into the same account. At the beginning of every term, I would get a portion of money that would have to last me around 4 months. It seems like a lot of money when you get it at the time but making it last for 4 months spending it on necessities like rent, bills and food then the amount doesn't seem as much as you first thought. Budgeting is needed here and I wasn't taught this at school. I learnt how to do it all on my own and it seems to have worked as I haven't been in my overdraft yet which is very rare for a student! However, I know many students aren't too good when it comes to budgeting so this should also be a part of the curriculum for everybody.

Saving money is also something that you're told to do but I don't think it's implemented enough through schools as not enough people do it. The amount of people I know my age who have a job and don't save is bad, they instead to choose to spend their money unwisely. I don't have a job but if I did, I would want to put some money aside every month, even if it's something as little as £50. 

Paying bills on time is also something that should be taught as getting into huge amounts of debt is not good for your credit score (although small amounts of debt that you pay back quickly is good for your credit score). Even setting up bill payments from your account through direct debits or standing orders is something I've had to teach myself which I admit isn't that hard but it should still be taught in schools.

Lessons on how to use credit cards should also be given. I think some people think credit cards are a source of free money yet they can cause huge problems if credit cards are misused. As I mentioned earlier, it is good to use a credit card and get into little bits of debt as long as you pay it back straight away or this could majorly affect your credit score. Misuse of credit cards could also lead to borrowing money from loan sharks or loan companies which have huge interest rates on them which could potentially further increase your debt and worsen your credit score if not paid back straight away. A bad credit score can affect your chances of buying a house or a car for example so steering away from a bad credit score is essential!

Mortgages

I still have very little knowledge on the whole concept of mortgages. I'm sure I won't need to worry about this for the next few years as buying a house is pretty much impossible with the current housing situation so I still have time to read up about the whole subject. However, this should definitely be taught in schools.

The Government and Politics

This is still one issue I still don't totally understand, even with the recent General Election, I still don't fully understand the workings of the government. Of course if you've studied politics at A Level or degree level you will know the ins and outs of it but I have literally been taught nothing about politics. Everything I know about the government and politics (which isn't much I have to admit) I have learnt from the news. Another reason I don't really know much about the subject is that I don't really have an interest in politics. Schools should provide compulsory lessons to actually get students to want to know about politics so that they are more likely to have an interest in it and when it comes to voting, I'm sure more young people would actually go out and vote.

This is just a handful of things that I believe should be on the curriculum but aren't and this needs to change sooner rather than later!

Have you found that many valuable things in life aren't actually taught in schools? Do you believe more life-based lessons should be taught in schools? Can you add anything else to my list?