As we were discussing plans to register our 15-year-old son for driver’s education this summer, we were remembering our own high school experiences decades ago when driver’s ed was freely offered as an important part of the regular curriculum.
Sadly, this is no longer a priority in our schools. Students are expected to take the course on their own (to the tune of $500 or more) or, as is commonly done, wait until they are 18 so the course is no longer required for a license. This should have us all shaking in our boots!
As we continued our conversation, we started listing other courses we thought should be offered as a regular part of the high school experience, including: parenting 101. making marriage work, money management, basic home maintenance, citizenship/civic engagement, effective communication skills, environmental health and sustainability, understanding world cultures and religions, universal human rights, stress management, music and the arts, aging and death.
We would love to hear readers’ ideas on other topics that would help our youth thrive in the world we live in!
Jim and Dana Strickland
Marysville
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