Wednesday, July 02, 2025

John --

Continuing our Education theme in our renamed series Forward Thinking, we focused this past week on the curriculum we teach in our schools. What are the most important subjects that our children should be learning, given the rapidly expanding nature of our technological world?

Here's what you had to say.

On X:

On Facebook:

On Threads:

On LinkedIn:

What may be surprising to some given the laser focus the media places on the role of AI in our economy and, thus, our education system, across the board, you supported a focus on core competencies (the three Rs), as well as life skills. For the latter, things like sticking to a budget and paying taxes; changing your oil; cooking for yourself and meal planning; and home repair were mentioned as valuable, tangible life skills. If anything, we've seen these cut out of our curriculum over the past decades.

Tech skills were a distant third on all platforms, and professional certifications earned almost no votes across all of our channels.

On top of the high-level poll answer, many of you sounded off in the comments with some interesting ideas:

Individualized Learning and Support

Just like last week, the most common thread by far was a call for individualized attention to be paid to each student. Parents want a less standardized, more personalized education for their students. These comments suggest that you would view AI and technology (as well as teacher support) as a means to achieving academic goals through a traditional curriculum, rather than something on which the curriculum itself should focus.

A Re-Emphasis on Core Competencies

Many of you called for a re-focusing of our education system on reading, writing, and arithmetic, claiming that digital tools and their usage were overshadowing fundamental skills needed to succeed in everyday life. According to responses, digital tools should be used to enhance skills people have learned rather than replacing the development of those skills.

Inclusion of Critical Thinking, the Arts, and Civic Literacy

Outside of core competencies, there was a call for an increase of emphasis on critical thinking skills, artistic pursuits, and a foundational understanding of our government and how it functions.

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