To put the issue simply, graduating students lack some of the basic skills required for adulthood.
The ability to classify elements, find instantaneous velocity, and write a structured essay may be important for a majority of our lives, but after high school, many of those skills prove themselves virtually useless.
Millennials are the first generation born and raised with the internet, opening up a world of quickly and easily accessible information.
Unfortunately, seemingly simple tasks—such as writing a check or addressing an envelope—are becoming increasingly difficult for adolescents, since those skills are typically not taught in schools.
Filing FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), taxes, and applying for and paying off loans are mysterious processes to most teenagers.
But how will students learn these skills for adulthood? Many expect that parents are able to guide their children and offer help, but not all parents have the time or the information.
In order for students to graduate fully prepared for adulthood, high schools should implement a “Life Skills” course, offered during study hall to junior and senior students. The course would be optional, allowing students to choose which skills they would like to learn. Similar to the Math Tutoring Venue, teachers could volunteer their study hall period to instruct.
The course might include topics such as car maintenance, establishing credit, 401K programs, and other financial and maintenance information.
The responsibility of teaching general skills should be a paired effort between schools and parents; some information can only be provided by family, but there are more surface-level tasks (i.e. addressing envelopes and finding scholarships) that schools would be able to easily walk students through.
All students should be able to leave high school confident in their ability to function as an adult, and prepared for what the world can (and will) throw at them.