Dear Readers, Please check out our new Opinion Poll on whether television builds or diminishes children’s minds, and cast your vote by the end of January 2016. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our December 2015 poll was about whether schools should focus on teaching real life skills:

Schools should focus on teaching real life skills, because students are not likely to use their knowledge of subjects such as literature or trigonometry anywhere practically.

• I agree. Schools should focus more on teaching practical skills, such as applying for and getting a job, operating a bank account and social skills, instead of on subjects such as Art and History. (70%, 32 Votes)

• I disagree. Life skills can be learnt at home and all subjects taught in schools are important. For instance, history teaches important lessons from the past and art encourages personal expression. (30%, 14 Votes)

A large majority of the respondents (70%) feel that schools should focus more on teaching life skills that will be useful for students when they enter practical life. They feel it is more important for children to learn to operate a bank account or apply for a job, than to study subjects such as Art which do not seem to have much practical value. A minority (30%) feel that life skills should be learnt at home and that all subjects that are traditionally taught in schools are important.