KABABAYANS are fired up after reading my article pushing for the government, in the Philippines and the United States, to bring back life skills subjects that have unfortunately been taken off the curriculum because of budget constraints.
They strongly agree that subjects that used to be mandatory like home economics, practical/industrial arts/home repairs and gardening should be required of all students again to prepare them better for the day-to-day real life they will be facing as adults.
I propose to take this initiative several notches higher. I think these life skills — household chores, taking care of the babies, basic carpentry, plumbing, electrician skills, changing flat tires, among others —should be taught to ALL students, boys and girls.
I would like to include financial literacy to the “home economics” aspect of the learning. All students should be taught about budgeting money, how to balance checks, how to live within your means, how to save money, how to invest money, the pros and cons of using credit cards, and different kinds of loans. These skills, I believe, will help shape more responsible and independent adults in the future.
Here are some of the comments of our kababayans here in the U.S. and in other parts of the world including the Philippines:
Yes agree po kami jan ng matuto naman ang mga youth nowadays dahil kapaki-pakinabang yan kesa sa gadgets lang cla magaling!Marami tayo natutunan noong araw na iyan ang subjects sa school esp H.E. — Claire Sanga Delos Reyes
Agree, nung elementary days nmin me home economics kmi mga babae (H.E) dun natututo kmi manahi ng ibat ibang stiches, ng iba pang gawaing pang pababae, mga lalake me Practical Arts (P,A) don gumagawa sila ng basurahan ng ilaw,, at iba pang panglalaking gawain. — Day Garcia Decano
Agree noong hs ako meron kami niyan. Pati GMRC [Good Manners and Right Conduct]. Ibalik din kasi di na marunong gumalang at mag respeto ang mga kabataan ngayon. — Billie Borbon Reyes
During our time, we have those in schools and at home. — Rafael Mejia Salonga
I totally agree with this program. It should have never been removed. — Steve Baguso
I agree ma’am. Now as an adult, I’m clueless how to do repairs. — Jerald Uy
Isama na rin ang Agriculture. — Villamor Espiritu
Madam, sa assignment nga dami ng nagrereklamo yan pa kaya? pero kung ako ang mag aaral ulit. my answer would be yes na yes. — Artemio Ramos
I agree, school doesn’t want you to learn personal finance and entrepreneurship. Because they want you to stay poor and stuck in the rat race. Homework trains your brain of being inside a box because after you finish school they want you to be the best “employee”. — JP Pat
Yes! Gaya ng pagluluto, nang mag work ako sa U.S. ako nagagawa ko pa din makapag luto ng Filipino dishes when I was in states na walang Filipino restaurants. — Anthony Vincent Cruz
Yes I agree — make it non-gender for all classes. Females get to learn “male only” skills like carpentry and vice versa for males like cooking. — Victoria de Manila
Yes na yes, it’s very practical and needful to students especially when they grow and mature, realistically they can apply to their daily lives. — Ruelito Salonga
Ay masaya yan. Ganyan tayo dati!! Dami ko natutunan diyan. — Maria Riz Flores
Home Economics Teaches About Life In All Its Areas Of Existences. It Provides Holistic Pathways To Expressions Of The Soul & Spirit Toward Realizations Of Being, Oneness With Nature, Reconciliation With The Planet, And Alignment With The Natural Order Of Things. Home Economics Commences From Care Of The Self, To The Care Of The Home And Of The Family, Care Of The Community, Care Of Nature And The Environment, And Care Of The Common Home Planet Earth. Home Economics Enables The Understanding Of The Interconnectivity Of Life Toward Integral Consciousness Where The Sustainable Wholeness Of All Is Supreme Objective Of Life & Living. Home Economics Embody The Bahay Kubo Paradigm And The Bayanihan Paradigm Which Are Apex Solutionary Cultures Crafted By Our Malay Ancestors. — VM Chan Velarde
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
