What is the purpose of school for children any more? They don’t seem to know English (the language, spelling, etc), or history, or geography. Schools must (I hope) still teach enough for them to function but ask them questions… there is a LOT they don’t know. Especially here in Ontario. My nieces and nephew don’t know basic Canadian history or geography, and they are not taught Canadian spelling and language arts. Test your own children, can they spell, locate on a map and tell you something about the Canadian province of Saskatchewan (even those who live in Saskatchewan, though I’d hope they would know more/better).
I taught my nieces and nephews about Canadian history, geography, spelling and cursive writing. (Typing/ keyboarding is no longer taught now either. Children are expected to be proficient due to frequent computer/Internet use. I find that sad). Of course, there is still far more they don’t know. The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know, yet. But, basic things like finding the provinces and territories on the map. Knowing the capitals and how to spell it all. Why isn’t that taught in schools? The schools we pay for with our tax money. But, that’s just part of it. I want them to know basic Canadian things and have a good general education before they graduate into high school and then onto college, university or a job.
The kids do seem to be taught a lot about sex. Still not told condoms are NOT 100% effective. That always comes as a surprise to them. I tell them about that when they hit high school age. I know schools delve into all of that early, far too early, and make it something the children research on their own, on the Internet of course, the source of such great and reliable (pornographic) information. But, the school does not teach other important things which we used to learn at school, not only reading, writing, arithmetic, simple science, regional history, and geography. But things like hygiene, good posture, penmanship, good sportsmanship. I taught my nephews and nieces about hygiene, even at high school age they didn’t seem to know basic things about being clean, walking (picking up their feet versus walking like a troll) and standing/sitting without slouching, and speaking clearly (good elocution). I can remember that being part of what I learned in school. My Mother and Grandmother also learned about those things and told all of us.Schools don’t seem to do that any more.
Ironic that modern schools teach children a lot about sex, gender based on stereotypes, sexual fetishes, etc but it is now left to parents and family members to teach children about reading, writing, arithmetic, science, hygiene, posture, etc. All those hours children and young people spend in school, even now during the so called pandemic, but they don’t seem to be learning about anything that really matters, just how to fuck themselves and others. What a waste of time. What are schools setting our young people up for in life? What are they capable of doing, when the schools say they have graduated.
Test the young people, see what they know and where they learned it. I found more about condoms than I ever cared to know, or needed in 50+ years including being married some of those years, but they did not know how to spell Saskatchewan. I learned that early and I made sure I remembered it. Canadian spelling, history, geography were things that mattered to me. They still do. What matters to young people now when their education seems focused on sex, not things that young people really need to know to be successful, or at least competent, in life.
Talk to people who hire young people for jobs. They can give you some real stories about our young people, not being able to work, even at basic tasks, not being able to read, write or figure out simple things. Some of them on drugs, prescription drugs, which leave them unable to function. Some so addicted to their cell phone they just lean against a wall and say anything more is too much for them to handle. (These are actual cases, real cases, which my sister has experienced as a local employer over the past few years). What are schools doing to this generation of young people? It seems to me schools are failing, badly.
Note, I do see wonderful young people and feel very proud of them, happy to meet them and hear they are doing well, feeling good and happy. I wish that for all the young people.