Textbook Learning? Check. Memorising? Check. Life Skills? Uh...

Can I survive in the ‘real world’ ? Maybe if schools taught actual life skills.

Maybe if we were taught life skills in school we'd be more prepared for the future

(Photo: iStock/ Altered by The Quint)

What did I learn in school? “Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell”.

I’ve learnt how to memorise each word of my textbook.

What I have not been taught in school are life skills. In this case, ignorance is not bliss.

Money Monsters

I opted for commerce stream in 11th grade so that I could get a sliver of financial education. Do you know how to file tax returns? Do you know how to take a loan? Do you know how to balance a cheque book? Do you know how to use a credit/debit card? If anyone asked me these questions, I would definitely fail this test.

I, like everyone else, am expected to learn all these with time. But is the bouncing of a cheque something you want me to risk? If I don’t learn in time I could go to jail for not paying tax! I say, bring the experts to school, teach us something we really need.

So You Think You Can Cook?

I can draw the diagram of how plants obtain food through photosynthesis in the presence of chlorophyll and sunlight. But ask me if I can cook, and the only thing you’ll get for dinner is Maggi. The majority of us are clueless about how to cook to survive. Irrespective of your gender, you should know how to cook at least enough to survive if no eating joints deliver food to your location.

Survival of the Smartest

I can mark the desert and forest regions on the map, but can I survive without any proper facilities? First aid and basic survival skills we might not have to use in our daily life, but in case of an emergency, we should be prepared.

School = Stress

I know how to solve an equation in more than one way, but I have no solutions for anxiety, stress and depression. All my knowledge about mental health is from reading people’s experiences on the internet. School is about continuous studying and tests without a break in between. Mental illness is a growing issue which we need to be aware about.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Ever wonder about the one thing which we constantly get scolded for? Not rising to wish the teacher. Good manners are equated with only one action, wishing the teacher every single time you make eye contact with them. I can assure you that a long and drowsy “Good morning ma’am” isn’t pleasant, it is actually quite ironic. We could use a lesson in respect for all.

Ratta Maar

The way my worth is measured is through standardised tests. And the unit of this measurement is my percentage or my grades. My anthem for the dreaded board exams was “Ratta Maar” from SOTY (Student of the Year).

Me: Why haven’t I been taught to be curious, to be original or to imagine in school?

Teacher: This question is not in your syllabus.

Maybe it’s time we changed it.