What would you add to National Curriculum ?

As a retired teacher, I believe that psychology, public speaking, politics and child development would be useful subjects.

So many just don't have a clue how society works, what makes others tick and how they develop. Most will vote and be parents one day - still in blissful ignorance.

Sadly the young people that need the most guidance are the ones that do not get support at home.
These are the children that need the extra curricular lessons such as etiquette etc.

Lizbethann My school didn't even have kitchens for teaching cookery, so none of us learnt. My mother was an appalling cook too. Nevertheless, I learnt how to cook and, even though I say so myself, I'm pretty good at it. Sorry, but I'm so glad I spent my time at secondary school learning academic subjects.

First aid, makaton, life skills, manners.

Classical music appreciation. Many younger people are woefully ignorant about it.

Art history, including architecture.

We don’t question the teaching of literature, but art and music are just as important.

Speech training. I don’t mean elocution exactly, but just how to use the voice properly and speak clearly. I listen in despair to some young people and wonder how they will ever get a good job with almost unintelligible speech.

I went to a girls grammar school (eleven plus in those days). Our spinster headteacher, a real "Prime of Miss Jean Brodie " type. We were all expected to go to university or teacher training college or a similar well regarded profession BUT domestic science was still seriously taught. Even highly intelligent professional women had to know how to cook and eat well!

Delighted to hear that citizenship is being taught. Is it the same as the UK citizenship test? Eg I am amazed by how many young people don't understand the difference between local and general elections. I work in a library and by 2.30 we are inundated by children from the local high schools and not one of them is actually doing any studying or reading of any description. It is warm and dry and we usually chuck them out for causing mayhem.

Isn't it funny how everyone thinks they are an expert about teaching and education. How can you post about what you want to see extra unless you know all the subject areas? And citizenship is already taught
In England, citizenship is a statutory National Curriculum foundation subject in secondary schools. The citizenship programmes of study set out what schools must address in their citizenship teaching. The GCSE Citizenship Studies also contains core content that should be addressed in teaching and preparing students for this qualification. GCSE Citizenship Studies is available from the three Awarding Organisations AQA, Edexel and OCR.

If a child lives in a family where no one cooks proper meals how are they to learn? I did domestic science at school for two years but was taught the basic things such as rubbing in, beating, blending etc which has served me well ever since. My mother did all these things but I know I took more notice of what the teacher said!
There was a trend at one time to play suitable music of a calming nature when children were writing or doing artistic things.

I agree with you about music Luckygirl. The impact of the government's financial cuts on the wonderful peripatetic music service that we once had makes me weep.

Neither of my children nor I have ever had cookery lessons in school. It's not rocket science to follow a recipe and we can all cook and understand nutrition. I'd keep secondary schools for subjects which can't be learnt elsewhere.

Music, music and more music! It is the only international language we have; it improves academic results; it ;lifts the spirits; it engenders co-operation - I could go on. It is there in the curriculum, but as a sort of add-on rather than a human right.

One thing I'd like back in UK schools would be proper libraries. The last THREE I worked in had minimal library space and the last school CLOSED the library down altogether. No access to reading books for children at all.

I know it seems surreal. But it is true!

Most of the reason the school day is longer now is because there are a lot less breaks. When I was at school (and in the international school I now work in) we had over an hour for lunch AND had two breaks/playtimes.

The UK school's I've worked in have had short lunches. The shortest was 25 minutes. They also ALL only have one break/playtime. 15 minutes in the last one I was at.

One school I worked in had Mon/Tues with LONG days. Finishing at 4. Then Wed/Thurs/Fri finishing at 2.30. The long days were REALLY worth doing to get the early finishes at the end of the week.

Well a lot of these things are already taught in schools so not sure why you would need to create new subjects. If you are going to create new subjects then what are you going to leave out?
I think cooking, financial management, DiY and the art of conversation are the responsibility of parents and grandparents.
The current GCSEs are incredibly demanding.. My eldest GD worked every weekend and only took two days off over Christmas and New Year in the run-up to GCSEs. I can't imagine why anyone would want to add to the workload.

A lot of these extra subjects are among things that I learned in the Guides, my daughter learned doing Duke of Edinburgh awards and my sons learned in the Scouts.

Local history.
So many people, and not just young people, know nothing about the town in which they live.
Hopefully, this could lead to an interest in history in general, a subject sadly neglected by many.

Natural History - understanding the world around you, identifying flowers and wildlife. How to use herbs, how to spend time in nature looking at the sea, the sky and the countryside.

I would stick with the teaching of academic subjects like English and Maths, Humanities, Languages etc. not because they are necessarily useful but because they prove children can be disciplined in their learning. Too many airy fairy subjects turn children into lazy learners just looking for easy qualifications.

Calendargirl, I doubt volunteers would suffice. Who would decide whether the volunteers have the required skills for teaching? They’d all need to be DBS-checked. When would these lessons be fitted into the school day? After-school wouldn’t work in areas such as mine where many pupils are bused to school.

I think it would be better to teach the parents, who could then pass on these life-lessons.

Life skills- managing money, feeding oneself and a family, mending something simple ,like a fuse or a plug, growing something to eat.

I'd opt for an array of life skills, cooking basic meals, managing money and again, the basics of DIY.
I'd also like to see first aid classes.

There are many schools on a 4 day week or early finish therefor i do not think much could be added.

I would like to see parents teaching basic manners, household finances and basic cooking.

So many parents are saying they have not got time for anything but if they look at their screentime usage on their phones it often runs into hours.

I was surprised when I looked at mine it was about 2 hours a day! I have turned the setting off now.

SyeDonim

Perhaps some of these skills could be taught by volunteers, i.e. parents, retired, unemployed.

In years gone by, it was the domestic science teachers, rural science teachers, woodwork teachers etc. who taught this type of stuff. When did it all change? Thinking of my GS, 14, who learned how to make lemonade in whatever they call cookery nowadays. And that was one of the more useful lessons.

The evils of County Lines, with the emphasis on how insidious any form of grooming will appear at the outset. Quite possibly these matters are covered although the former is a fairly new phenomenon.

Plus what the others have posted on finances, particularly credit, how to use it your advantage as opposed to being subsumed by it.

Cooking, nutrition and emphasising that although they are basic life skills they shouldn't be underestimated, maybe emphasise how a lot of cultures still cook from scratch and when they do their diet is invariably healthier than the multitude of fast food choices.