Children should have a fair amount of say in their education but not at the expense of necessary knowledge. One of the reasons that childhood education is so important is that it lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning. A well taught student should have the basic skills and confidence to pursue any area after high school graduation. A solid ground work opens up a myriad of options for our young people.
When I was growing up I wanted to be an explorer, then a writer, then a nurse, then a teacher. Now as a Licensed Massage Therapist with a 4 year goal of becoming an Occupational Therapist I can bear witness to the fact that career paths can change. Whether by necessity or desire.
It is our responsibility to give young people the tools to succeed in many different occupations especially given our current situation in this world. All kinds of fields are starting to emerge relating to climate change, space exploration and asteroid mining as well as our increasing demands for high quality entertainment, service and, well everything.
Some of the topics that I believe all children should have a basic understanding and ability to implement include: math, logic and reasoning, mental health, first aid, basic computer skills and internet safety, being able to find/grow/prepare food and child development.
I believe that passions in children should be encouraged and allowed to flourish but not at the expense of necessary knowledge. Life is full of give and take. One day you will have a job or be in a situation where you must learn something that you do not want to. It is very important to be able to take in and execute information despite lack of interest!
Creating a plan with your child that contains both things that they are interested in as well as areas that you deem necessary is an excellent life lesson. Work on those negotiation skills, they will need them!
