Nowadays, it is argued that young individuals ought to be taughted practical life skills, such as cooking and managing personal finance, just as pivotal subjects in school, whilst other people are more inclined to the belief that schools should only mainly provide academics disciplines for students. Although the latter held certain merits, I certainly agree with the former.
On one hand, there are undoubtedly certain benefits that focusing solely on academic lessons bring to children. Firstly, it helps youngsters pursuit for academics only, without worrying for other skills, hence develops young individuals’ intelligence. Therefore, they can gain knowledge, and get good grades in schools. Moreover, children are prone to be motivated to gain passions for certain subjects when they set their focus on academics, which helps them build a path for future majors sooner. For instance, many experimental schools in Vietnam have dismissed practical clubs and activities to make students focus on studying, for fear that their grades may decline due to outside activities. However, this can make young individuals rely more on adults for basic needs, such as food and money, because they equip only a few life skills. As a consequence, they will become more dependent on simple needs to survive, despite having many academic knowledge. For example, in China, many children do not know how to cook, nor how to do things on their own, as they always have their parent do everything for them.
On the other hand, the merits of teaching practical skills for youngsters alongside with compulsory academic subjects completely outweigh the advantages of focusing solely on academics. To begin with, basic life skills can help youngsters learn to survive, to take care of themselves and the others. Skills such as cooking, sanitizing, managing money,… they are necessary keys to survive and live in this modern society. Furthermore, children can become more independent and mature, because they can rely less on their parents and adults for basic activities. Hence, they can fulfill their mindset and maturity, to be able to be and decide on their own. For instance, in European countries, students are encouraged to engage in moral, practical activities and clubs, in order to help them gain more social and living skills, whether they are toddlers or teenagers, as the government inititates many clubs and organizations for young individuals to join and learn. As a result, children can both develop their insights and social, practical skills, to grow up fully.
In conclusion, while solely teaching academic disciplines for students is essential for youngsters, practical skills lessons should also be taught along to help children develop fully.