TEN THINGS THAT SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS, BUT AREN’T
Elementary Common Sense 101 (An Empty Classroom in America)
Why does half the population not know the proper etiquette for getting on and off an elevator?
Think about the last time you went into a crowded building. The doors suddenly open and just as you attempt to walk out, some idiot is standing directly in front of the doors blocking your way. Worse, occasionally these clowns attempt to muscle their way onto the elevator even before you’ve had a chance to exit. It pains me immensely to admit this situation is all too common just about everywhere — on shuttle buses, subways, trains, and just about anyplace people congregate in public.
So, what’s the genesis of this fatuity, and the myriad of other everyday encounters where we constantly run into dimwits? I think I’ve got the answer, and my theory is this: I’m convinced that one of the most glaring irritants in today’s society is a general lack of common sense. Put another way, what is wrong with you people!
Admitting there’s a problem should enable the introduction of a new curriculum into schools. We desperately courses on good old-fashioned “common sense.” Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But there’s a glaring void out there in the wasteland of modern American civilization (I’m not sure how pervasive this problem is in other countries). Common sense is clearly lacking among a significant percentage of our population, and things appear only to be getting worse. Next time you’re with a cashier, be sure and check your change. Much of the time, they can’t figure out how much money you’ve got coming back unless the proper register keys were punched in advance. You might as well have asked for the solution to an algebra problem. And they’re cashiers! They should know all this! They spend the whole day going one thing — handling money! Knowing how much change to hand back to a customer on a $20 bill shouldn’t require intervention from Paul Erdos.
Yes, our schools are supposed to teach the kids basics like reading, writing, and arithmetic. But what can be more basic than how to live life as a responsible member of the community? Without common sense, hardly any of the other stuff matters.
Here are some of the basic things that I believe need to be taught in schools: READ MORE HERE
Basic Manners and Common Courtesy: Saying simple words and phrases such as “please” and “thank you” can take you far in life, or at least provide a good start. Yet, common courtesy appears to be a thing of the past in many public exchanges. Since I eat out a lot at restaurants, travel, and visit many places I’ve almost become desensitized to rudeness. Even retailers and restaurants don’t seem to properly teach their employees how to deal with customers. Then, there are much simpler basics such as shaking hands, opening and holding doors for others and treating others respectfully. Common practices make everyone’s life better.
Proper Online Behavior: I’m convinced the proliferation of online trolls and their inescapable abuse, in part, comes from the lack of any tutorial or supervision. Kids just don’t know any better. Or, they get attention online they crave but aren’t receiving at home by morphing into Internet monsters (psychologists have documented this relationship). While the Internet should remain a free forum and open exchange of ideas, this space is increasingly becoming our public town square. That requires protection and fighting for space without being vilified. Accordingly, some simple common-sense rules should apply. Lessons on the harmful effects of online stalking and hate messaging should be mandatory. Moreover, teens (and some adults) should be taught about the dangers of posting things that can come back and haunt them later in life. Remarkably, this increasingly important part of our lives is hardly mentioned at all in schools. It should be.
Cell Phone Etiquette: The time has come to include a chapter on how and when to use cell phones. Smartphones have become such an integral part of daily life now, that we should start teaching kids when to use them, versus ignoring calls or texts and shutting them off altogether. Agreed, a significant number of cell phone users are clueless clods, and we’ve already lost a few generations to obnoxiously loud talking in public and other forms of cell noise pollution. For some, it’s already too late. The least we can do now is start teaching young people about proper cell phone etiquette, since everything has become a wild west, fuck those around you, free-for-all.
Common Sense: We could all use a healthy dose of common sense. Essentials like how to walk on the right side of the sidewalk when it’s busy. Or, not to block elevators, doorways, buses, trains, and so forth. Or, not spewing profanities out in public. Or, not driving in the left lane on an expressway. Or, not driving on the far right when there are at least three lanes, and many cars are turning off or entering the roadway. And so forth and so on. I guess the keyword here is empathy. There needs to be more of it.
Effective Means of Communication: Talking remains our most effective means of expressing ourselves. Ya’ know? However, as the world becomes increasingly intertwined, it’s obvious that many people lack fundamental communication skills. For instance, if a non-native speaker is trying to express himself, ya’ know, he’s likely to use broken English. I can’t count the number of times, ya’ know, I’ve seen twits trying to communicate with these people who struggle with language, and speak fast, use idioms, mumble and behave with no sense of awareness. Ya know? And for those who make public announcements (like the airline gate agent earlier today who murmured the indecipherable boarding groups like she was sleepwalking, nearly starting a stampede), training in how to speak into a microphone should be absolutely mandatory. Don’t even get me started on the excessive use of slang and “ya’ know.” Ya’ know?
Sex Education: I almost didn’t include this issue, because it demands a separate article. How is it that such a fundamental component of human existence, with so much misunderstanding about it, coming at a time when teens are naturally confused and curious, this isn’t an obligatory course that’s taught everywhere? In some communities, sex education is part of the curriculum. In most schools, it’s not. It’s staggering to me that in the 21st Century we still have people who are afraid of knowledge and education. The cost of such outdated attitudes about sex remains one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the industrialized world, which leads to a myriad of social and economic problems. [SEE FOOTNOTE 1]
Financial Responsibility: Why aren’t elementary courses offered on personal financial responsibility? This is one of the most important elements of stability, yet it’s not taught in schools. Essentials like how to manage a bank account, writing out checks, paying bills online, shopping for goods and services, maintaining a good credit rating, not to mention simply spending money wisely should be part of the basic education system. Many college kids get swamped with credit card offers, acquire massive loads of debt from predatory banks, and then bankruptcies skyrocket. One reason for so much debt and financial impropriety is the lack of education in this country about finances. Moreover, forget about learning how to balance a checkbook from mommy or daddy. Two-thirds of America lives paycheck to paycheck. Parents are usually bad role models.
Dealing with Differences: The way we deal with people who are different than us speaks volumes as to our humanity. There once was a time (or still is a time) when outsiders were viewed with suspicion and sometimes repudiation. Now, more people are becoming not only tolerant but open to the vibrancy of the collective quilt that is American culture. Still, we have a long way left to go. We’ve made great strides in recent years when it comes to minorities, gays, the transgendered, the mentally ill, and people of other cultures (although Muslims still seem to be having a tough time in some parts of America). As a part of the “Common Sense 101” course, I’d add how to respect and effectively work with people who have different outlooks on life. I’d also include a chapter on how to treat the disabled, handicapped, and elderly. We could all use a lesson on making these people feel more connected to a culture that’s become increasingly self-absorbed and exclusionary towards the non-chic. Side Note and Thought: I would extend this how to treat men/women. Many boys tend to become misogynistic because of a pervasive sense of ignorance, confounded by puberty {see sex education).
Vices: Drinking, Gambling, Drugs, etc.: I’ve gotten flack for this, but I’m standing by my assertions. Demonizing behaviors that many people seem to enjoy — drinking, gambling, doing drugs, for instance — has backfired. Fact is, most people like to drink, Many people like to gamble. Some people like to experiment with and use drugs. So, let’s drop all the “Just Say No” bullshit because that’s clearly not working. The pendulum has swung the other way on all of these vices. Better instead to educate kids, explaining to them what these activities are, and then warning them as to the dangers of excessive, out-of-control behavior. A realistic approach to vice in the education system would be much more effective than the blatant hypocrisy of telling kids not to engage in these behaviors, then they see their parents doing precisely these things at home. State education must step up to the plate and take the lead. Moreover, I’d go so far as to offer courses on gambling, wine appreciation, and so forth in the schools. Yes, I’m serious.
Civics: Being part of something requires engagement in the decision-making process and faith in the institutions of trust. Cynicism abounds because many of us have lost faith in the process and in our institutions, be they government, the military, corporations, the media, churches, or whatever. Young people need to be taught their voices matter. They need to be given the blueprints on the latticework of influences upon their lives, and how to be part of the civil dialogue. Discussion and debate are not 140 characters on Twitter or a snarky Facebook post. Solving serious problems requires a deeper commitment than that. It should be up to our schools to provide a platform and guide on how to become part of the political, economic, social, and cultural scene.
A few more thoughts: I’d be remiss was I not to point out that most liberals favor these kinds of instructions. We want the state to be more involved. We want schools to lead in the development of making responsible citizens. Meanwhile, conservatives oppose things like sex education and counseling in schools. Leave most of these things up to parents, since they know better, goes the argument. Conservatives want to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. They are wrong on virtually all issues, and especially this one.
Admittedly, sometimes our schools don’t do a particularly good job at teaching the basics. The U.S. ranks 31st out of 74 industrialized nations in mathematics, 23rd in science, and 17th in reading comprehension. [SEE FOOTNOTE 2]
Nevertheless, most parents are doing an even worse job. In part, this lack of common sense is due to one-parent families, and a twisted capitalist economy that rewards spending more time at work than raising a family. Collectively speaking, parents are failing the grade miserably when it comes to teaching their kids the things listed above.
It’s time for these elementary things to be taught in our schools. Starting right now. After all, it’s just a matter of common sense.
FOOTNOTE 1: The United States Lags Behind Many Other Developed Nations: Although teen pregnancy rates have declined considerably over the past few decades in the United States and in most of the other 20 countries with complete statistics, the teen pregnancy rate is still highest in the United States (57 per 1,000 15–19-year-olds), followed by New Zealand (51) and England and Wales (47). The lowest rate was in Switzerland (8 per 1,000), followed by the Netherlands (14), Slovenia (14), and Singapore (14). [SOURCE: GUTTMACHER INSTITUTE]
FOOTNOTE 2: [SOURCE: KOF INDEX OF GLOBALIZATION]