In a world where the environment is changing and where citizens are required to be creative and multiliterate, the school curriculum is continuously being developed and updated for students to keep up with the changing times.
The focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) proves very useful in light of the recent technological advancements that the world has seen in recent years. However, as much as the academic structure is helping young minds better comprehend theories and processes, one aspect that needs to be reinforced in the academe is in the area of practical life skills.
Think of life skills as some sort of building blocks that allow students to take whatever it is they learned from educational institutions and apply them in real-life situations and problems. Macmillan Education claims that these life skills are essential in meeting the daily challenges of life, especially in a highly dynamic environment.
The Importance of Teaching Life Skills in Classrooms
Teaching life skills in a classroom setting has a lot of great benefits. It helps set students up for success in life. There are three ways that teaching life skills in schools are beneficial.
1. It is beneficial for the individual.
Teaching life skills benefit students by preparing them for life and the complications it brings. It teaches them the skills needed to help them develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking, taking responsibility and ownership, and avoid blame-shifting.
Doing so allows them to analyze their decisions better and be more objective when it comes to the decision-making process, such as choices between the best mortgage rates or which investments to take.
It also develops in them a greater sense of self-awareness and appreciation for others.
2. It is beneficial for employment and work.
In a corporate setting, life skills can be equated with soft skills. A lot of recruitment managers and employers now look at what a potential candidate is made of and not just what he or she can bring to the table.
Can he work under pressure and a tight deadline? How well does she manage her time? Does this person work well with others? Can she quickly adapt to a constantly-changing work environment? Does he possess the vital leadership skills necessary to help strengthen the company?
These are some of the things managers and employers are looking out for. In this day and age, academic success is no longer enough to guarantee you a good job. The focus has shifted to employability skills or life skills.
3. It is beneficial to society.
The more that a person hones and uses these life skills, the more that society benefits from it. These life skills affect the world we live in with the little positive changes that take place whenever these skills are applied.
These different soft skills make it easier for an individual to deal with people from different cultures and backgrounds. It can help bridge people together, bring resolution instead of resentment, and speed up restoration where needed.
If our children today are equipped with the best that the academe has to offer plus essential life skills, imagine what the world would be like when they take over. Our generation’s goal should be to set them up for success as we hand over the world to them to make a better place out of it.