What Schools & Colleges DO NOT Teach Our Kids

[smishek]

The U.S. government isn't the only one drowning in debt and spending money they don't have...Everyone is!

If we ever want to pull ourselves out of this recession and turn our country around - things have to change.

And it all boils down to money.

Kids don't learn about money in school...or in college either for that matter.

Sure, they learn coin values, how to count money, and if they major in accounting, they'll learn the mechanics of money...

But they don't learn These 4 MOST Important lessons about money:

Like...

1) How to earn money

Kids are taught in school to get good grades, get into a good college, and get a good, secure job.

I hate to tell ya, but good grades do not guarantee financial success in life. And it doesn't guarantee a job either.

I know parents who won't even let their teens get a job...because grades are more important!

This is a shame. Kids are being prepared to be "worker bees" who rely on the goodness of their employer for their retirement benefits, health insurance, life insurance, etc. Then scream and whine when it doesn't work out. And expect the government for hand-outs.

There is no such thing as job security any more.

Shouldn't we be teaching our kids how to make their OWN money...to be an entreprenuer like Bill Gates and start their own business...and develop a strong work ethic?



2) How to save and spend money wisely:

In school, kids learn how to spend money on the latest fashion, I-pods, cell phones, Starbuck's lattes, you name it.

They don't learn...

To pay themselves first and save at least 10% of every dollar they make...religiously...

How to budget their money so they control money (instead of money controlling them)...

The benefits of delayed gratification (how to save up and wait for that special something)

The dangers of credit cards...

The marketing tricks that every new hair product will "make you happier and sexier"

3) How to Invest Their Money

Albert Einstein said..."the greatest power is compound interest!"

If kids learn and start investing their money at a young age, it won't matter if social security disappears.

Kids have 3 huge advantages over the greatest investors ever:
Time (30 to 40 years!)
The ability to learn and develop new habits quickly
100% free money (no bills to pay!)

Unfortunately, kids don't learn how to invest money for the long term. Most don't even have a savings account...much less a Roth IRA

4) Tithing

Having enough money will make your life less stressful, but giving and sharing your blessings will make you truly happy.

So if schools and universites are NOT teaching kids these 4 vital lessons about money...us parents must.

The successful future of the United States (and the world) depends on it.

[Oddball]

What Schools & Colleges DO NOT Teach Our Kids

1) Reading

2) Writing

3) 'Rithmatic

4) Critical and analytical thinking skills

[sgdp]

Tithing? Whaaaaat? No way. That should not be included in the curriculum. That is a religious matter. Charity is a little different, but tithing, no.

Though, I do agree that basic money skills should be taught. Nobody teaches the dangers of credit cards, for instance. I just got ripped today for refusing to have a credit card. Meh. People is dumb.

[chris13]

You could fill volumes with what schools do not teach our children.

[Big Drew]

1) Reading

2) Writing

3) 'Rithmatic

4) Critical and analytical thinking skills

As a 7th grade English teacher, I can tell you that I teach my students reading, writing, and critical/analytical thinking skills on a daily basis. I even try to squeeze a little cross-curricular math learnin' into my lessons, when the occasion arises.

Please don't generalize.

[Oddball]

As a 7th grade English teacher, I can tell you that I teach my students reading, writing, and critical/analytical thinking skills on a daily basis. I even try to squeeze a little cross-curricular math learnin' into my lessons, when the occasion arises.

Please don't generalize.
Deletions, distortions, and generalizations are how we get through life without frying our cognitive circuits. That doesn't automatically make them correct in all cases.

Don't take it personally.

[KyanWan]

When I was in High School - one of my teachers - Mr DiMugno - said this:

"The most important thing you will learn about in school, is the United States Constitution."

He then took 1 full month -and his own ancient out-of-print textbook with no pictures in it - to teach our 10th grade class about the Constitution.

Sadly, he died 2 years later. The books ... were disposed of after he died.

---

Surprisingly, I went to a City school - in New Britain, CT - we all walked out of that school (*those of us who put forth an effort) - with excellent math skills & decent writing skills. Through placement exams in University - I skipped (no credit if I take them) 3 G-E university-level math courses.

This, however, is years ago. Now - my younger brothers and sister - have all been removed from the public system. They are in private school - where the education level is double or triple the public level and has harsher grading standards. Additionally they have a complete lack of immoral & waste-of-time subjects - such as there are in the public schools in my own region.

-----

The beauty of University - is the choice of what to learn is up to the student. As part of my own education, I studied -

- Economics
- Business Law
- Ethics and Application of Law in Technology

2 of these courses were G-E selections I picked on my own (Economics, Business Law) These three courses - I've used plenty in my own life. :) IMO they were excellent choices.

As a 7th grade English teacher, I can tell you that I teach my students reading, writing, and critical/analytical thinking skills on a daily basis. I even try to squeeze a little cross-curricular math learnin' into my lessons, when the occasion arises.

Please don't generalize.

Good teachers make Great Americans. Even in the "worst" of places - you can find many excellent teachers. There are good ones, however there are just as many mediocre ones (and just a minute sliver of bad ones.) The best, should be rewarded for their service - the average, should be improved - the worst should be replaced.

I'd love to see the day when we need no discussion on education - the day our education system surpasses the rest of the world.

[BryanC]

So if schools and universites are NOT teaching kids these 4 vital lessons about money...us parents must.
The successful future of the United States (and the world) depends on it.

The colleges that I have attended have counselors that work with students on the very things that you complain about. There is really no need for additional courses such as you prescribe.

[LoneStarHero]

I agree wholeheartedly with points 2 and 3.

I'm iffy on point 1 because I don't know how to incorporate a job into a curriculum. However if there were resume writing and interviewing skills in there I could see it floating.

Point 4 is complete crap. That money would be better put forth to save 20% and go beyond the 10%. Not to mention it is exclusive to Christian tradition. Charity would be a better term. Also charity leads to tax deductions :)

[chris13]

Also charity leads to tax deductions :)

You mean, for now. Until PrezBO gets through with revamping our tax code.

[teresamerica]

Schools plain as day are not taught about personal responsiblity, which extends to issues like money and how to save for anything by putting percentage of earnings in a bank account and preparing for retirement but not relying on the Government for everything. Student are brought up with a sense of entitltment to whatever the person wants, and to be given most everything. I think since God has been taken out of the public schools, that the sense of moral responsibility has declined and therefore kids have no examples to show them how and what the "right" thing to do, and that is why moral relativism pervades our public school system.

Now, there is even the self-esteem propaganda that you are not allowed to fail a student because you don't want to hurt there self-esteem or cause them to be depressed. Now, the liberals expect students to be passed along from one grade to another regardless of whether the student learned the material or not, or passed the class. That is why young adults in society do not understand how to live and survive, and turn to drugs etc.

[RickL]

Now, there is even the self-esteem propaganda that you are not allowed to fail a student because you don't want to hurt there self-esteem or cause them to be depressed. Now, the liberals expect students to be passed along from one grade to another regardless of whether the student learned the material or not, or passed the class. That is why young adults in society do not understand how to live and survive, and turn to drugs etc.

This, I am afraid, is backwards.

Kids are not promoted to save their "self esteem". They are promoted to make the schools look good.

Infusing the "business model", or "competition", into the schools has created a situation where principals fear for their jobs, teachers fear for their positions, and everything must look great on paper.

In NYC, our mayor ended what was called "social promotion". This was a system which aged kids out. This way, you would not have, as the expression was, a "bearded 7th grader". Now, we were told, kids would only be promoted if they earned it. This should be a good thing. More kids held back until they are on level. Amazingly, after supposedly ending social promotion, almost no one got left back anymore. One would think that the opposite should occur; more kids being held back until they are up to par. So, the bar is lowered, standardized tests are created in such a way that it is almost impossible to fail. Practice, practice, practice. Instead of learning, they practice. Then, the grading procedure is set up in such a way that it is almost impossible to fail (many still do, but the rise in "passing" numbers create an illusion that more kids are achieving).

But, classroom grades still count for something. So principals put a ton of pressure on a teacher to pass a child who should not pass. If too many kids get held back, the school gets a bad grade, is held "accountable" and the principal wont get his bonus. But no one wants to look into these things because as long as there is an appearance of "accountability", and as long as the unions are getting beaten up, that is all that matters.

I have seen many teachers bullied into passing children. Never once has it been for the kid's "self esteem". Teachers try to teach. The union tries to back them when roadblocks are put in their way. But politicians and school administrators need to look good. So, the heck with the children.

Rick

[Marleysdaddy]

My High School had a required course called 'Personal Finance Literacy' where they taught all these things (except the Christian concept of tithing).

[archangelo]

Actually, at this point young folks should be learning a manual skill, like blacksmithing and barrel-making. Their parents should be putting in vegetable gardens and stocking up on necessities, including those that could be used as currency.

A pamphlet on chipmunk recipes might come in handy...

:whistle::flag:

[jackson Mill]

Money doesn't make you happy, just makes things easier.

I mostly don't agree with you (generator of this post).

First, my High school (and arts driven, public school) had a required economics course for seniors that covered the "big" (how the FEDS work, different monetary polices adopted by various governments, ect.) and the "small" (credit card payments, blancing a check book, the workings of mortagtes, money mangment, ect). So to assume that all goverment schools don't teach about finiacnes is wrong and doesn't consider how localized the circulume is- got an issue? it is only a school board meeting away.

Second, at the college level there seems to be a largerly held beilf that college's pormise is to insure a person lands a succesful job. I apporach college as an opperuntiy to learn and better myself. Moreover, money mangement depends upon crical anaylsis, mathatic, and a host of GE crouse that most liberal arts colleges (and even conservatories) require. I don't think that many people who graduate from college are so clueless to not applie thier knowledge to thier finiances, even if they didn't learn mathatics or reading skills in a "finiacne class" style atmoshpere.

[LSBeene]

As a 7th grade English teacher, I can tell you that I teach my students reading, writing, and critical/analytical thinking skills on a daily basis. I even try to squeeze a little cross-curricular math learnin' into my lessons, when the occasion arises.

Please don't generalize.

If you are doing this then I think everyone here would applaud you.

And I do.

But here's the thing, our national test scores are a disgrace - especially since we outspend just about every country on the planet - some of them we can combine a few countries that are beating us and still outspend them.

There is no accountability.

We need to make the money follow the children, make schools compete for the kids, and let the schools be accountable to their customers - the parents.

Competition breeds higher standards.