The choice of focus on academic subjects and life skill coaching has always sparked debate. While the classic but mandatory idea of academic studying is needed, the concept of life skills is also very much essential for enhanced and holistic development of the child. The following essay discusses both options broadly, with examples. In addition to that, my final opinion will sum up the entire discussion at the end.
It is important to note that although academic education is basic and traditional, it is not everything that shapes a student. Through academics, children gain information, knowledge about culture and technology, and some skills through which they can monetize their future. However, in many situations, sole academic focus in school/college period can fail to teach students certain basic but very much necessary growth and survival skills. For instance, students majoring in mathematics cannot apply formulas to every scenario in their life, if they lack critical life skills such as communication and empathy, they can find themselves stuck in certain areas of their personal or professional lives.
That being said, it’s crystal clear that children’s mental foundation and personality will strongly develop with not only academic enlightenment but also prime life skills such as decision making, time management, stress management, resilience, critical thinking, problem solving, emotional intelligence, and so on. To illustrate with an example, a person who mastered the skill of time management can swiftly overcome a situation where he was dealing with too many tasks given in a short span of time.
As a final remark, I strongly believe that life skill lessons should be equally encouraged in institutes just as much as the attention given to academic subjects to ensure children prosper both personally and professionally.