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Weigh In: What subject do you wish they taught in school but don’t?

08/28/2008 - By by Teja Anderson

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What subject do you wish they taught in school but don’t?

When it came to answering this question, the differences between the ages were really apparent. The older you were, the more you cared about respect and thought that this was the topic most lacking in school curriculums these days. Those just out of college felt overwhelmingly that money management and a little more guidance, especially balancing a checkbook, was most important. The younger set wanted more sports, more art, more music, and more recess. And the really young ones? They were mostly thinking with their stomachs. Cooking classes were a high priority on their minds, especially for chocolate cake and pizza. It was interesting to hear that language (Italian in particular) and world studies, including geography and history, were important topics to be added, expanded on, and delved into. With the weakened dollar tempting more and more foreigners to come to this country (and many to our area), it seems that both language skills and a basic knowledge of other cultures would indeed be useful, if not downright necessary.
 
It also appears that Rodney Dangerfield wasn’t the only adult out there who felt they “don’t get no respect.” But you have to wonder if this is something that needs to be taught in our schools or something that parents should be teaching their children by simply having them follow by example. What with the “No Child Left Behind Act” it seems that the teachers have a tough enough time as it is keeping all those test scores up.
 
It’s not surprising that as parents are slower to cut the emotional and purse strings these days, so many college-age kids feel lost in the real world. Check writing seemed daunting, but truth be told, pretty soon it will all be done on computers, and checkbooks will go the way of the typewriter…so relax. There’s a computer program for everything these days.
 
It is important to note that in each town in which Living In Magazine posed this question there were many who really couldn’t think of one single subject either missing from their education or topics that needed to be improved upon for their children currently in school, whether they were in private or public schools. So, all you educators out there…keep up the good work!

COLTS NECK
	How to balance a checkbook! I am in college right now and I am a bit lacking in the personal finance area. -Staci Taustine
	They should give students more foreign language choices, especially in the pubic schools – not just Spanish and French. -Kathryn Fenton
	More science [and] more math, so kid’s can use their minds to think and not just always use a calculator! -Tom Patel
	They should teach psychology earlier. Mental health issues are now more accepted, and they should teach kids about them earlier! -Arielle Zebe
	Respect is the number one thing that comes to mind. Respect for other people, respect for their belongings. -Mary Mattioli
	Business. Actually, it should be business ethics! Kid’s have no concept about business ethics because what they read in the papers and see on the news is usually negative. -Glen Dalakinian
	Life skills. They should give assignments that would teach basic finance in the real world. Children are practicing adults. We forget that they are going to be adults someday and it doesn’t help them to just be handed everything on a silver platter. -Jihnny Landron
	More recess! -Daniel Grabowski
	They should teach us more about the real world, not just about subjects in textbooks! -Juliann Costa
	They should teach them how to write checks and balance a checkbook, and nuclear physics. You never know when they are going to need to know how to split an atom. -Claus Warnebold
	They should do a better job teaching them history...American and world history… everything. I really don’t think they teach it enough. -Lou Perillo
	Home economics. I want to learn how to make desserts. -John Grabowski
	How to dress! -Donna Butcher
	At one time there was talk about implementing a string program here in the public schools. I think having a youth symphony would be great. -Bob Leibner
	I want them to teach me more about Webkinz® in school! -Jojo Pitta
	How to be a good citizen! -Mary Beth Sheehan
	They need to be teaching kids more economics; basic life skills for the outside world. Everyday skills. Kids come out of college and they can’t write a check! -Lisa Ledig
	More business classes geared toward women. Woman should be learning more about corporate business, stocks,  finance, and stuff like that. -Andrea Glazewski
(No picture)	More about the arts – all of the arts – music, drama, poetry, photography… -Steve Ott
	Money management! -Anthony Salvati
(No picture)	How to dress properly. A shirt is not a dress ladies, and pants start at your waist and go down to your ankles gentlemen! -Petra Hollander
	Taxes! -Stephen Spinella
	Manners! -Denise Lenzo
(No picture)	How to tie my shoes! -Avery Jonston
HOLMDEL
	I wish they would teach us how to play soccer in school. Yeah, soccer would be a great topic to teach us in school! -Maggie Matthijs and Rachel Fryefield
	Nothing really. I feel like they are learning so much more today than we ever did, especially about computers and stuff. -Danielle Cannon
	They should teach us physics because we are getting it next year and I don’t want to be at a total loss. -Darius Darvish
	Fashion…like the do’s and dont’s of fashion… what to wear and what not to wear if you want to look good. -Teyanna Bacon
	I hope they will teach me good things, not bad things. And I want to learn more about art! -Lindsay Cannon
	Web design. I wish they would teach us how to make our own web pages for e-mailing instead of “IM”ing! -Jessica Chesebrough
	How to cook pizza! -Sofia Papalia
	They should teach the kids how to make money because when they get out of school they need to get a job. I am a father of three girls and I teach them about investing. I think that is really important too. -Rogelio Villanueva
	How to get along without computers and no cell phones, especially in school. And there really should be a public school dress code in high school and middle school. -Maxine Rubin
	They should have taught me that I should have been an investment banker! -Glen Dalakian
	The topic or subject I would most like to have in school is design – clothing design. -Eliza Jones
	Respect. Absolutely. Of parents, of elders, of peers, and especially of teachers…and they should be teaching them all proper English! -Harvey Rubin
	Geography. It really is not taught enough in school. People today don’t even know where countries are or even where some of the states are! -Ester Lewert
	I think they cover every subject. I’m pretty happy with what my children are learning. Of course, they are in private school. -Debra Baca
	I wish they would teach you how to be a veterinarian! -ZuZu Cooper
	Music appreciation classes. They should teach a lot more music; it helps you learn other stuff better, like listening to jazz can help you understand math better. -Michael Brooks
(No picture)	Survivalist skills. You never know what is going to happen these days. They should teach them how to fend for themselves without cell phones and other electronics. -Jerry Liddo
	How to cook…like a big chocolate cake! -Nicole Papalia
	They should teach us how to create video games. -Tim Dwyer
	How to make cakes and decorate them! -Morgan Dwyer
	That I should have been an investment banker! -Bill Kilbride
	Extreme air hockey would be fun! -Krista Wright
(No picture)	How about a little thing like respect? They could call it Respect 101, and it should be mandatory. If you don’t pass, you take it again and again and again… -Sally Huber
JERSEY SHORE
	I wish that we had a better music class. I’d like to learn more about instruments and how to write and make music. -Colleen Toomey
	They should teach children the truth when it comes to history! I’m a teacher, and history is just not taught truthfully. -Colleen Cummings
	Surfing! I think they do teach it in Manasquan. Yeah, surfing would be fun. -William Rodriguez
	Self defense. They should branch off of gym classes earlier and teach self defense…especially for girls. -Darnley Rosius
	Life skills, like the basic economics of living – paying bills, credit cards and interest rates, loans, personal credit. All that. -Lauren Shauger
	How to wear clothes properly, fashion, how to make your own clothes and wear things spontaneously! -Olivia Dicopoulos
	Batman! -William Ebel
	Survival tactics in worst-case scenarios, like how to survive a shark attack, how to escape from a burning car or sinking car, how to survive an earthquake, a tsunami, or a tornado. Those things are all really important to know; they could save your life. -Jaden Dicopoulos
	I wish that they were teaching us how to save lives in school. Now that would be really useful! -Samantha Reynolds
	I want them to teach me harder math! -Malleigh Ebel
	How to make money fast. They sure don’t teach you that! -Robert Lustica
	Italian! -Josh DiCapua
	Ballroom dancing. I think that that would be a really fun thing to learn how to do in school. -Michelle Germinario
	I wish they taught football in school. -Nicholas Briggs
	Surfing! -Kevin Junay
	I think there should be more classes about other people’s cultures. If we knew more about other people and where they come from maybe we wouldn’t be so judgmental! -Vanessa Rino
	More sports, not just gym! -Connor Vieira
	More music, especially piano. -Amanda Barrett
	More math and science! -Jacob Maleh
	I wish that they taught Italian. -Alex Sheridan
	About space! -John Ebel
	I guess cosmetology, hair cutting, doing makeup and nails. -Emily Mace
	Managing money. They don’t teach nearly enough of that in school. You need it to be prepared in the real world. -Kimberly An
MARLBORO
	Business topics…the real-life money issues, like how to save and the value of a dollar in general! -Renee Berson
	They should teach us woodshop – how to make things out of wood. That would be great! -Ty Pincus
	Teaching you about real-world adult decisions that you need to make, like how to deal with making important life choices. -Pete Couch
	I want them to teach me something about animals. I really like all the animals! -Gianna Licitra
	I can’t think of anything. They really do a good job in the schools; they stay on top of everything…especially technology. -Bob O’Handley
	In South Carolina people spend $55,000 on a house. Around here people spend that on a car! They should teach kids in school how insane that is. -Michelle Berson
	I agree with my mom and sister, they should teach the value of money. -Nicole Berson
	Lego building and sandcastles! -Jacob Niglio
	Common sense! I find that a lot of kids don’t have it these days. -Rebecca Ginsberg
	I can’t think of anything. I think at our elementary schools we teach everything we need to teach them now. Later they can learn theology and philosophy! -Mr. Camera, Vice Principal, Frank Defino Central Elementary School
	They should teach us about the world, all about the other countries, and the people in them...what they eat, what they believe. I think we learn about that way too late. -Jamar Summey
	I want them to teach me how to write my name! -Jake Fallon
	We have a very comprehensive curriculum here that addresses all of our student’s interests and development, so actually, nothing really. -Dr. Morris, Principal, Frank Defino Central Elementary School
	Engineering! -Dustin Pascal
	Socialization…how to socialize with other students; or [maybe] economics and home finance. Not cooking, but basic home maintenance, so if an outlet broke, you could fix it and not have to pay some electrician $100! -Rob Pincus
	How to learn what 8 + 8 equals! -Caroline Moore
	Relationships…like how to deal with people respectfully, how to get along with people. -Malia Hayes
	How to survive in the wilderness! -Dennis Sokolov
	More art! They should have art at least three times a week – basic drawing skills, sketching – and gym should be more than once a week in the elementary schools, especially with all the obesity now. -Rajashree Dixit
(No picture)	By high school they should be teaching more money management... the basics, like credit cards, debt, interest rates, college financing and budgeting. -Haley Davis

 

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