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[Goldenroad]

At least basic stuff like how to create a resume, dress for your job, not get scammed by salespeople, etc. Just simple stuff. Not doomsday prepping or any of that nonsense, just shit that you're going to need to do to survive in this society. I can't believe how many kids straight out of high school don't even know how to put on a tie, go out and shake hands and hand out resumes. It's almost frightening the lack of life skills taught in school.

 

[CornBurrito]

Nope. But everyone should be forced to take high school level economics.

I felt that high school economics was useless. But that might just be my negative experience talking. People who take Econ 101 are the same level of obnoxious as people who take Poli Sci 101 or Philosophy 101 and think they can tackle all the world's problems with their extremely limited and incomplete understanding of a complex topic.

 

[The Lamonster]

I think survival skills should be taught to everyone. Living off the land, not how to balance your checkbook lol

It's part of being a human being; at the very least it could be a history lesson.

 

[Liquidsnake]

Every school should take one week out of the year, and replace PE with basic survival training. even if they never use it, they should learn a few basic things.

 

[CornBurrito]

Yeah and how to pay taxes and how to be a civilized person and how to manage money. They could definitely spend less time on the catcher and the rye or romeo and Juliet and focus on these things.

Yeah everyone should be a cog in the machine. Don't bother covering literature or art or anything that could encourage the production of unique cultural works. -_-

I shudder that I may very well see a future where Literature, Music, Art, etc... are considered useless simply because they aren't directly useful for paying bills. So long beautiful cultural works.

 

[Phat Michael]

I felt that high school economics was useless. But that might just be my negative experience talking. People who take Econ 101 are the same level of obnoxious as people who take Poli Sci 101 or Philosophy 101 and think they can tackle all the world's problems with their extremely limited and incomplete understanding of a complex topic.

Disagree completely. A basic grasp of economics and finance would really help a lot of people who don't have these skills.

High school economics would be fine enough for most people. I don't expect everyone to have University level economics knowledge.

 

[Valkerionseven]

I think kids and adults could learn a lot from basic survival/wilderness skills such as fire and camp building ect. As a full blown survival training, nah. Some basics that could be used in the wild/urban settings would be great though. Also teaches a bit of Independence.

 

[CornBurrito]

Disagree completely. A basic grasp of economics and finance would really help a lot of people who don't have these skills.

High school economics would be fine enough for most people. I don't expect everyone to have University level economics knowledge.

What in High School economics did you cover that you think helps most people? Finance sure. Econ 101 in my school trotted out the "everyone is a rational actor" bullshit. And led people to thinking that a country should work the same way as a household economically.

 

[happypup]

I think a short term survival course would be beneficial. Being able to survive without resources for a week, along with an understanding of lines of communication, how to get out of the situation could save some lives. Being able to survive indefinitely is unnecessary for nearly all situations.

 

[omegashockwave]

No. So few people would ever be a in situation where wilderness survival would be necessary. It would be a waste of time and money. Now classes like cooking and personal accounting could be helpful. There are certain skills like those that are necessary for survival in modern society that are never taught in schools and should be.

 

[Frog-fu]

Yes. Swimming, map reading, basic first aid and cooking.

 

[Captain Europe]

Depending on the area, maybe. In most areas in the West healthy cooking and budgetting classes would be much, much more useful.

 

[umop_3pisdn]

We have a program called 'outdoor school' here, I never took it but a bunch of my friends did, it was actually through the public school system and it covered a lot of that stuff.

 

[Phat Michael]

What in High School economics did you cover that you think helps most people? Finance sure. Econ 101 in my school trotted out the "everyone is a rational actor" bullshit. And led people to thinking that a country should work the same way as a household economically.

Haha shit it was a long time ago man! From memory just basic demand /supply, how prices are set and the trade cycle discussing recessions/booms etc. Govt economic policy, budget surplus and deficit, gdp , trade etc

I'm not talking microeconomics but just the basic stuff you use on a day to day basis.

 

[omegashockwave]

This is what I had said too. I am not saying it should replace anything, just in addition. Survival in PE, I can see it being taught in history as well.

My high school didn't even have PE. They got rid of it a year before I got there. Instead, we got our PE credits from either playing a sport or outside study. I got mine from being on the bowling team.

 

[Ryck]

Yes, that and mental health.

 

[DUFFMCWALIN]

...skills no one needs, and virtually no one will ever use.

waste. of. time.

HA. Never live outside of a large city then if you think its skills that no one needs.

 

[Gawge]

No.

"Survival skills" are talked about as something which we have recently 'lost'. But really, we have never really been 'solitary man/woman', relying on our own survival skills in a solo effort against nature. I think that is just mainly some sort of romantic tale made up by weird people.

If I happen to be thrown out of an aeroplane in the middle of a jungle, i'll probably just crap myself anyway.

 

[ICKE]

Absolutely. People should be prepared for adverse situations. such as the water supply being cut off for several days etc.

In Finland cooking, woodcraft, taking trips to forest, learning different animal species and so on are valuable activities that take place during school hours. There are too many people incapable of taking care of themselves, they just can't plan ahead. First aid, swimming and so on should also be taught to everyone.

 

[Kyzer]

Yeah everyone should be a cog in the machine. Don't bother covering literature or art or anything that could encourage the production of unique cultural works. -_-

I shudder that I may very well see a future where Literature, Music, Art, etc... are considered useless simply because they aren't directly useful for paying bills. So long beautiful cultural works.

Hey fuck that I love art. But romeo and Juliet in English class for artistic merits can go shulk itself compared to learning survival skills. I was just trying to choose some random thing to cut time from cuz someone mentioned it. Don't make me out to be anti art in schools wtf

 

[CornBurrito]

HA. Never live outside of a large city then if you think its skills that no one needs.

Most people do tend to live in densely populated large cities. I feel that if our schools are going to follow some national or statewide standard (dunno how school curriculum are set) then they should cater to the majority of students. Urban survival would be much more useful than Wilderness survival.

Hey fuck that I love art. But romeo and Juliet in English class for artistic merits can go shulk itself compared to learning survival skills. I was just trying to choose some random thing to cut time from cuz someone mentioned it. Don't make me out to be anti art in schools wtf

I'm not convinced that wilderness survival skills that most people will never use is more valuable than gaining an appreciation for literature.

 

[GungHo]

I thought this would be about survival skills like budgeting money. I have no problem with that.

Or balancing a check book. Or knowing how to read a damn credit card statement. Or reading contracts. Or fill out a 1040A or 1040EZ (basic tax forms for you non-USAians). Or read a map. Shit you not... there are people without essential "how to be an adult in a modern society" skills, and it's spooky.

 

[Maidenpool?]

That's what the boy scouts/cub scouts are for

 

[CornBurrito]

That's what the boy scouts/cub scouts are for

I don't think we can rely on them to teach non-Christian or gay students.

Absolutely. People should be prepared for adverse situations. such as the water supply being cut off for several days etc.

In Finland cooking, woodcraft, taking trips to forest, learning different animal species and so on are valuable activities that take place during school hours. There are too many people incapable of taking care of themselves, they just can't plan ahead. First aid, swimming and so on should also be taught to everyone.

I don't see how identifying animal species is needed for survival in this day and age. That sounds less useful than teaching kids evacuation procedures in case of a nuclear fallout. How likely is a given person to actually need species identification skills or woodcraft?

 

[SummitAve]

Yeah they should, personal finance and how to socialize.

 

[studyguy]

I'd prefer personal finance classes be taught in High School. Those are the real survival skills. No joke.

 

[PJV3]

In the UK you're never more than 5 minutes away from a cup of tea, unless you're up a mountain or something. I don't see much use outside of a fun distraction.

 

[CornBurrito]

Yeah they should, personal finance and how to socialize.

Humans typically don't need to be taught how to socialize, and instead just need to be given the opportunity to do it.

 

[Persona7]

Do we really need to give students less math and english time?

 

[ComputerMKII]

Speaking and writing your own language, speaking English, knowing basic maths and how to use a computer are survival skills.

 

[CornBurrito]

Speaking and writing your own language, speaking English, knowing basic maths and how to use a computer are survival skills.

But what about that .0001% chance they get stranded in the wilderness for days???

 

[Omegasquash]

Nah. And I like learning about the stuff. Hell I keep camping supplies in my trunk because I like to fantasize that one day I'll be able to just...go camping.

But in school? Not really, no.

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

I think all high schools should be vocational and if a survival class is one of them, then sure. I never understood why school had to have such a strict liberal arts, math and science curriculum but not those in which the individual student can get prepared for whatever it is that they love all the way through college.

 

[Syroc]

A school I went to offered a course called Outdoor Education. They taught you things like first aid, map reading, and other basic outdoor survival stuff as well as sea kayaking, mountain biking, and building igloos. It was pretty great.

One of the few courses in school were you actually learn how to behave in a group and work as a team.

 

[Neo C.]

It should be a programme for the vacation time, I agree. Too many kids waste their time playing WoW during the vacation instead of learning something useful.

 

[CornBurrito]

It should be a programme for the vacation time, I agree. Too many kids waste their time playing WoW during the vacation instead of learning something useful.

In the modern age there are things faaaaar more useful than wilderness survival skills. WoW isn't one of them granted.

 

[SamVimes]

It should be a programme for the vacation time, I agree. Too many kids waste their time playing WoW during the vacation instead of learning something useful.

we wouldn't want kids having fun during their vacation

 

[thestopsign]

My high school P.E. class had a survival skills section our senior year. We learned efficient ways to make camp fires (we made food on the fires after too), how to build shelters, how to know what to eat in a forest, basic orienteering skills, how to do presentations/public speak, how to properly use a weight room, and how to balance a check book.

Class was awesome, and the teachers were awesome too. Very approachable and had good life knowledge on a whole range of situations. We also got to go canoeing on a nearby river with rapids every day for a two week period.

 

[phillipgessert]

I'd rather see the arts better funded.

 

[CornBurrito]

we wouldn't want kids having fun during their vacation

To be fair, wilderness survival/scouting could actually be great fun.

It doesn't have to be taught as a formal lesson. But how anyone is paying for a national camping trip program is beyond me.

 

[kennah]

But what about that .0001% chance they get stranded in the wilderness for days???

Like my friends nine year old a couple weeks ago. She took care of herself perfectly fine overnight until she was found the next day.

When I was in high school in Canada, both of these were mandatory. I just assumed they still were.

Yeah. I'm surprised that this isn't something that is covered everywhere. We had to do a little bit of survival stuff every year with a multi day camping trip every few years where we were tested on our skills.

 

[Deleted member 102481]

yes

 

[noquarter]

To the people saying no: Do you not see any value in teaching survial even at a basic level of understanding?
I don't see survival classes needing to replace any current curriculum, just expanding upon it. It is something that could be taught in PE blocks. Surely it has more value than dodge ball or square dancing doesn't it?

There are already numerous other subjects that would be more practical and are not being taught. I would like to see music programs coming back. I would like a better real-world economics program implemented. I would like to see more art appreciation and maybe through in some Logic and Critical thinking in the mix. Maybe better health and nutrition courses.

Yes, would be nice if we all had some basic wilderness survival skills, but lets get the things that are important to our society now and help better it taught first. Then we can throw in survival skills.

 

[kennah]

This thread is kind of upsetting. Maybe I just went to a good school but we had all of those things. (My small town had two high schools and I went to both of them)

 

[sixteen-bit]

Sounds like a poor use of taxpayer money.

 

[CornBurrito]

Like my friends nine year old a couple weeks ago. She took care of herself perfectly fine overnight until she was found the next day.

Oh wow one night?!!!? You can survive a single night without having to tie a knot or make your own fire or scavenge for food/water.

And I don't think you understand how statistics work. How often is a person living in a major US city stranded for a number of days where hardcore survival skills are needed? Your anecdote isn't particularly convincing that it is a common problem. Urban survival is far more valuable for the vast majority of people these days.

 

[Nealand Liquor]

Oh wow one night?!!!? You can survive a single night without having to tie a knot or make your own fire or scavenge for food/water.

And I don't think you understand how statistics work. How often is a person living in a major US city stranded for a number of days where hardcore survival skills are needed? Your anecdote isn't particularly convincing that it is a common problem. Urban survival is far more valuable for the vast majority of people these days.

Tbh I wasn't ever talking about hardcore survivalist training or anything. All I pictured was a semester a year og teaching people how to collect water, build a fire, keep warm, maybe even a bit of gardening and basic first aid. Every single one of those could have practical uses, even in a urban environment. If people want to learn more advanced stuff, cool. But I don't think a very basic program is at all useless.

 

[MisterGrey3000]

Maybe in P.E. or something

This is probably the best place to put it. I can see the value in teaching survival skills; they can be very useful in an emergency situation. I just don't think children/teens should be forced to do it though.

 

[marimorimo]

I wish we were taught survival skills at school.

But at least at the school I went to, we were taught:

- how to make a budget (this had a big influence on my life and I cannot thank my teachers enough)
- how to sew
- had times were had to cook as a group/individual but for some reason we were expected to learn on our own (I wasn't good at it at all).

 

[CornBurrito]

Tbh I wasn't ever talking about hardcore survivalist training or anything. All I pictured was a semester a year og teaching people how to collect water, build a fire, keep warm, maybe even a bit of gardening and basic first aid. Every single one of those could have practical uses, even in a urban environment. If people want to learn more advanced stuff, cool. But I don't think a very basic program is at all useless.

I'm not sure keeping warm is something need to be taught, since animals instinctively know how to do this and I'd imagine humans are no different in that regard. You get close to a heat source and minimize surface area. And try to prevent heat loss by covering yourself with something. This is stuff a kid can figure out just by trying to fall asleep on a cold night in their own room.

As for making fire or collecting water, when is this necessary in an urban environment? I can see a case for fire. But collecting water? In what way is this complex enough that it needs to be specifically taught? It seems it would be better to teach people to store water in their homes if there's some natural disaster that knocks out the local water source. And disaster relief comes pretty quick these days if you live in a densely packed city.

How many situations does someone living in a densely populated city need to build a fire in? Enough statistically to spend money on a class?