Four Things School Did Not Teach Us

Summary

The provided content discusses the inadequacies of traditional school education in preparing students for real-world challenges, particularly in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and understanding taxes.

Abstract

The article titled "Four Things School Did Not Teach Us" outlines critical life skills that the author believes are overlooked in conventional school curricula. It emphasizes the importance of teaching independent thinking, money management, tax preparation, and entrepreneurial resilience. The author argues that while school may cover a broad range of subjects, it often fails to impart practical knowledge essential for personal financial stability and entrepreneurial success. The piece suggests that incorporating these topics into education could better equip students for the realities of adult life and the workforce.

Opinions

The author criticizes the educational system for pigeonholing students into traditional career paths without encouraging independent thought or entrepreneurial ambition.
There is a strong opinion that financial literacy, including money management and understanding taxes, should be a fundamental part of education, as it is crucial for daily living and economic efficiency.
The author believes that schools focus too much on academic success and not enough on the value of failure as a learning tool, which is essential for developing leadership and entrepreneurial skills.
The article implies that the current education system is outdated and suggests that students should proactively seek to develop skills that

And why it would have been useful

Photo by czarny_bez on Unsplash

High school teaches us many things, like sports, art, science, math, and geography. While all the subjects were interesting, the school does not prepare you for the real world of entrepreneurship. Luckily I was able to fill in the gaps through life experiences.

Here’s what school failed to teach us:

How to think for ourselves.

School pigeonholes all of us into a few categories. Either we take the traditional approach and pursue 9 to 5 desk jobs or go into apprenticeships. We are asked our young age, what do we want to be? Some of us are also trained to answer the question according to our parent's wishes. The most common answers are doctor, engineer, dentist, accountant, and teacher. Teachers also play a role in helping us pursue traditional careers rather than going into business for ourselves. Some leave school feeling confident they chose the right career, while others feel lost and confused.

2. Money

Money management would have been a useful skill to learn in school. I mean we learn about the economy and math but somehow they failed to teach us about money. I truly believe that a lot of people would be more successful with money if it was taught at school. Personally, I would have preferred to learn this subject more than history or geography. Living is not free. It costs money to survive this world. Financial literacy matters on many levels. It helps people manage their financial affairs and improve their standard of living. But it also makes an important contribution to the performance and efficiency of the economy.

3. Taxes

Taxes are a hard concept to get your head around, especially when you start. There are so many rules and regulations, it can be overwhelming at times. Schools could have tried to teach students about the basics of a tax return and how to prepare one using case studies. If more people went into the world knowing this, it would be beneficial for every single student graduating. This stuff may not seem relevant…until it is relevant.

4. Entrepreneurship

Schools fail entrepreneurs every day. We are taught at school that we must succeed. We must get the best grades and then get into the best college and then to the best workplace in a particular industry in order for us to succeed. We are not taught how to fail. We are not taught how to learn from failure. Just punished by not being allowed to take certain classes or being told off for not trying hard enough. Schools are not built to make future leaders. A true leader knows what success looks like, it takes failure after failure and lesson after lesson to truly reach the top.

Schools failed many of us. Schools don't set us up for the reality of our future. If schools had included some of these topics more students would leave school feeling confident about life skills. Instead, they learn about subjects that will most likely never be used again in their lives. The truth is that our education system will not change anytime soon, but you have the ability to understand its shortcomings and work around them. Use your time wisely and build a skill set for the future. It's what you do during the free time that will set you up for the future.

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