I often see posts on social media about how schools should teach children [insert various life skills here]. Then I see a lot of people quickly agreeing without really thinking this through. I shake my head and respond that this is the role of parents, not schools. I sit back and wait as the inevitable push back begins.
Why do I respond this way? Because it's the truth.
Ultimately parents have the responsibility to provide ALL that a child or children need in order to become useful, and respectful additions to society as adults. This actually includes responsibility for teaching them to read, write, communicate, have enough math skills to function, and understand the world around them. Conveniently in the US and other locations public school systems have popped up and help with the academic aspects of instruction. This does not absolve the parents of this responsibility. They still need to ensure their child goes to school. If they choose homeschool then all of these responsibilities fall back on the parents shoulders once more, and some parents prefer it that way.
I do not believe there is only one right way to learn or to ensure students and children learn what they need to learn. I think it greatly depends on the individuals involved. This is why I do not advocate for only one kind of schooling, but instead parents should determine what will work best for their children and themselves.
So what about those kids who don't have parents who know these things or have the skills themselves in order to teach them? Ah, that's always the next complaint. It's STILL the parents' responsibility to either teach or find someone to teach their children what they need to know. This means you can outsource. It means you can use the public school system for what they offer, or use a private school if you have the option financially to do so.
There was a time that we homeschooled for three years, and when I did not have the skills to teach something, I looked for someone I could hire, or trade services with in order to get them the skills and knowledge they needed. I used co-ops for this mostly, but there were times other things came up and I realized those would be great opportunities for my children. It gave me a very different view point on teaching children, and the responsibilities involved.
Back to the original common social media argument about schools should teach X Y or Z - No, they don't have to. Teachers are underpaid and overworked as it is. If you want your child to learn gardening - grow a garden. If you lack the land, look for a community garden option. If that isn't an option, look for someone who does have a garden and see if they would like some help if they teach your child how to grow one. If that's not an option, learn to grow some vegetables in pots on your front or back porch.
Too many parents think the only option for learning anything is public school and if you bring up parental responsibility, they balk and look for all the reasons why they can't do this themselves. I was fortunate to have teachers who taught me to think outside the box. Just because formal education ended for me in 1997 does not mean that learning stopped! Learning is a part of life. Adults quickly figure this out as they go through life, but somehow fail to apply it to teaching their children. It's very possible. Homeschool families do it all the time, and this was a valuable lesson I learned from that short 3 year experience through the Covid years.
I cheer on the parents who have figured this out. I praise those who understand that they hold the key to their child's success in life. I wish more children had parents who understood this. Schools have their place and value, but trying to pawn off your responsibilities as a parent to schools is not the right choice, and doing so knowingly is flat out lazy parenting.