How do you pay your taxes or bills? What’s a credit score? These are just some of the questions that all students are wondering and not getting the answers. School is a place where learning and knowledge flourishes, so why shouldn’t classes that answer these unending questions be mandatory in the curriculum? Students need to learn basic life skills,which schools curriculum neglects to incorporate. 

     Some high schools make it mandatory to have an economics class; however, the lesson plans don’t include anything on budgeting, identifying what a credit score is, what a mortgage is, a lease, or even how to manage your money or a bank account. The most you’ll learn from an economic class is the nature, function, and behavior of the government’s economy. Learning about these topics are important, but an economic class ought to also incorporate how to calculate a budget, etc. 

     Schools should include a cooking class as well. The biggest problem in America is not eating healthy. Students in high school don’t know how to cook and when there’s nothing at home, they turn to fast food or anything that is cheap, convenient, and easy to make. A lot of the processed food they eat has carbohydrates and sugar, basically things that students shouldn’t be eating on a daily basis. A cooking class can teach students about healthy eating, how to cook with the ingredients found at home, and cooking skills you’ll know for life! If there was a cooking class that was mandatory to take one time in your highschool career, you would save money and you’ll learn how to live a healthier lifestyle.

    Along with a cooking class, Home Ec should be mandatory. This classic class teaches students about life skills with the notorious baby project where students learn what’s it like to be a parent. Many schools don’t even have a Home Ec class. For instance, West Boca doesn’t offer it. However, if schools did, students would rather take a class like AP Chemistry or AP Biology. Students think that because it’s an AP class and it will bump up their GPA, it’s better to take a class like that then Home Ec. A problem with most schools is that it’s all about competition. Who has the highest score, GPA, or rank? What people don’t realize is that GPA or ranks won’t help in the future. Sure, it’s good to have some healthy competition, but to an extent. Students should be able to take a cooking or Home Ec class at least once in their highschool career instead of taking a class they won’t necessarily need. Home Ec should have an honors credit or be mandatory. 

      Will geometry proofs be useful? What about learning about derivatives? Will learning these things help students in the long run? It is understandable that learning this will help make the students think critically, and I’m not saying to take out Geometry, Biology, Chemistry, etc., but to also incorporate a Home Ec class or any class that will teach students life skills they will need in the long run.