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- The 2008 Readers' Survey was conducted at Edutopia.org March 26-April 30, 2008. Participants responded to questions in their own words, and their answers were tabulated to yield the top three to five vote getters in each category. The top responses for each question appear with voting buttons to encourage our visitors to participate further.
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Readers' Survey 2008: Subject That Typically Isn't Taught in Schools That Should Be
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Although money is said to make the world go round, educators rarely get to teach the subject in schools. Teachers responded that their students need instruction on how to save, how to borrow, and how to plan for the future.
Many also wrote about the need to teach overarching life skills (perhaps, as one reader suggested, in a class called Taking Care of Myself 101). Other readers wrote of reviving lost subjects, such as handwriting and Latin. Speaking for many educators, one reader responded, "Manners, but we don't have enough time as it is, so please don't add anything else."
What do you think? Weigh in on the results.
What subject isn't typically taught in schools that should be?
Economics and financial management
31% (48 votes)
Etiquette and manners
21% (33 votes)
Social skills and social and emotional intelligence
48% (75 votes)
Total votes: 156
Character Education
It is heartening to see that Social skills and social and emotional intelligence has a strong lead!
Social Skills
I think that 'Social Skills' run hand-in-hand with 'Manners' because students are more confident when they know how to handle social situations, thus boosting their EQ, don't you think?
Social Skills and emotional intelligence
Our students need support and practice to develop interpersonal skills and emotional development so they can engage in the challenging and demanding LEARNING they must do in school.
Our students (and many of our students' families) have little or no practice nurturing youngsters or coping with lack of parenting skills. Students develop skills and apply themselves to learning challenges when they are valued, nurtured, supported and celebrated in their homes, communities and, of course, school.
Without social and emotional intelligences our students (and teachers) are stuck in a dismal no-person-lands - schools that are battlegrounds or holding tanks (till they drop out or into juvenile facilities).