The important things in life

[ciphergoth]

A BBC 1 News crew is turning up here in just over an hour to interview my Mum about this story:

Today, Education secretary Charles Clarke is hoping to start a national debate on the nation's essential skills, as he launches a competition to find the top five life skills that all young people should be able to master by the age of 16.

What would you say in interview?

Update: Didn't appear in 6pm BBC1 news. Maybe it'll turn up later or on BBC News 24, or maybe as djm4 suggests it's an attack of the clones...

Comments

[wildeabandon.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I've never changed a fuse, given first aid, or booked a holiday, although I might be able to improvise. I've always found that a really essential life skill is being able to find other people who can do all the things that you can't for you...

[djm4]

Knowing how to use a search engine efficiently, and how to winnow the grain from the chaff in the results. Ditto finding information in a library.

Basic statistics.

Scepticism about what's reported in the news.

How to lose an argument without taking it as a personal insult.

Budgeting.

(I'm not claiming an of those are life skills I've acquired to any great degree, of course.

[lysana.livejournal.com]

I'd say the top five life skills would be cooking, checkbook balancing/household budgeting, critical thinking, sewing, and basic first aid (with literacy as the zeroth life skill).

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Understanding how to cope with people to get things organised/fixed covers a few things mentioned, like the booking holidays thing for once - and getting things fixed! I don't have this bloody skill myself, as our washing machine which has been broken for MONTHS could confirm.

The prize is rubbish though. I'd prefer a House of Commons chequebook and pen.

But don't listen to me. I can barely change a lightbulb.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

Cooking
Questioning arguments from authority ('because I say so!' 'because I'm bigger/stronger/smarter/more politically powerful than you')
Telling the truth even when it's not in your best interests in the short-term
Reading
Asking for help when you need it.

I don't know, not all of those are things which can be easily taught, at least not in school. The most important life-skill of all is to never want to stop learning.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, I missed out 'accept love where you find it'

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Being able to cook (in terms of what to do to make sure you don't poison yourself, and what to eat to stay healthy).
Scepticism and criticism of information.
Good posture.
Budgeting.
How to use electric tools without cutting off your thumbs.

[feorag.livejournal.com]

Literacy, numeracy, how to find stuff out and learn, how to argue properly and how to sew your own bloody button back on.

[nickys.livejournal.com]

By 16 kids should know all about contraception - where to find it, how to use it properly.
They also need to know all about STDs and how to avoid them.
(not sure if these two might count as one skill)
They need to know how to cook balanced meals and how to store food so as to avoid food poisoning.
They need to know their rights as tenants and who to turn to if the landlord refuses to meet their obligations.
They need to know the risks and benefits of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs so they can make informed decisions about those.

[pavlos.livejournal.com]

1. Staying healthy (safe sex, drug abuse, basic nutrition, general health).
2. How to live as independent persons (work rights, rent, grants, healthcare, etc).
3. How to travel and communicate effectively (car driving, email, budget accommodation, etc).
4. How to assert and defend themselves and their views without being selfish.
5. How to think critically about the world, politics, their parents, etc.

Pavlos

[narnee.livejournal.com]

Off the top of my head: logic, proper sex education, proper drug education, household domestics, and basic computer skills.