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High school students are about to transition from children to independent adults. Some will go on to the university, some to trade school and some directly to the job market. However there are some skills all will need:

1. They will need the ability to care for themselves, both financially and health-wise.

2. They will need some way to earn a living.

3. In the U.S. and other democracies they will need to vote wisely and otherwise participate in their government.

4. They will need to function in an increasingly scientific and technical society.

5. They will need good oral and written communication skills, including both the ability to understand and to give information.

The fact that all will need these skills and that they will go different directions after high school means that high school is the last chance we have to educate them in those areas. The waiter, the electrician, and the college professor all need these skills so we must provide them before they go their separate ways (except in the case of earning a living which they usually learn later).

Mandatory classes should be those that help develop the skills listed above. All students should have:

a. A health class to prepare them to care for their bodies. This should include disease prevention, good nutrition etc.

b. A class in personal finance, including the dangers and wise use of credit.

c. A solid preparation for citizenship. This should include how the country functions and how citizens can make a difference.

d. A class in critical thinking. Such a class will help future voters see through the nonsense in political ads and will help future consumers see through the similar nonsense in commercial ads. (Woops! Politicians and other advertisers won't like this one.)

e. Solid math classes at least to the level of simple statistics.

f. Classes in basic biology and physical science.

g. At least one class in current technology, including how to prepare for changes in technology.

f. English classes which emphasize reading and listening for understanding, and clear speaking and writing.

g. I'm going to add one more, a class that I've never heard of being offered but which is the most important of all: Every student should take a class in how to continue to learn outside of the classroom. Our modern society is changing so fast that learning should be a life-long process. This need not be continual enrollment in classes, it can be good reading, educational videos, attending lectures etc. A diploma should be regarded as a license to keep learning.

Those classes would teach skills that every adult should have and use. They should be taught in every high school so students learn them before they go off to work, job training, or college.

Learn more about this author, Hal Lillywhite.
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