It is widely acknowledged that students’ curriculum at educational settings has always been a topic of general interest. It is argued that schools should place heavy emphasis on excellent academic performance and high marks in examinations, and other practical skills like culinary arts, clothes designing and woodworking are of no necessity. From my perspective, these skills, coupled with academic attainments should be incorporated in educational programs.
Irrefutably, it is imperative that educational institutions should solely prioritize academic achievement and excelling in examinations, and the pursuit of cooking, dressmaking and woodworking skills should rest with family members and peers. This is attributed in no small part to the fact that the knowledge and skills in the form of countless concepts and principles that pupils need to acquire at schools are so extensive that school children undeniably necessiate ample time and efforts to master and commit them to memory. Hence, the abolition of such skills to pave the way for academic lessons will facilitate students’ learning process. Nevertheless, this thinking is indeed infeasible as excessive studying and cramming for standardized tests can lead to enormous academic stress and mental diseases. Worse still, devoting a large amount of time to accumulating knowledge can expose pupils to unhealthy competitions to gain better academic results and ruin their relationships with other classmates.
Moreover, the cultivation of soft skills, namely cookery, dressmaking and woodwork are infinitely conducive to learners’ comprehensive development in the long term. For one, these skills can stimulate students’ creativity and nolvety and over well-being. Pupils need to be creative to generate new ideas and perspectives about their products, which can act as a stress reliever in the course of their involvement. Furthermore, in order to partake in such skills, children have to be physically active, for example by preparing ingredients for their dishes, tailoring their dress and cutting and fixing the wood, all of which translate into a significant improvement in their physical health. These benefits underscore the reality that schools should deliver lessons regarding fundamental skills to empower students to develop holistically in numerous facets of later life.
In conclusion, despite recognizing the rationale behind the importance of academic success and passing tests with high marks, I would contend that other crucial skills like cooking, dressmaking and woodwork should also take precedence in schools’ curriculum to foster a well-rounded child.