Students often ask why they have to come to school… in this blog post, we take a tongue-in-cheek look at the life skills YOUR subject really offers.

When those certificates get given out in a couple of months’ time, their recipients will rightly feel proud of their achievements. Said documentation will then be put in a drawer and largely forgotten about. So what do those qualifications actually mean? Here are the key take-aways from some of the core subjects…

History

An appreciation that times change. Many of those who’ve not studied History to exam level aren’t aware that in the ancient mists of time there existed a civilization that survived on landline telephones, dial-up broadband and analogue television.

Geography

Back in the day it seemed that map-reading was the key life skill to be taken from Geography but GPS technology has made that learning obsolete. Instead – and far more crucial than not getting lost on holiday – geographers are now armed with an understanding of climate change and how to combat it. Which makes them potentially more qualified than some of our political leaders.

English

The ability to pedantically correct peoples grammar on social media, thus demonstrating that no paper qualifications are needed to prove your intrinsic superiority.

*people’s

Maths

As with sat-navs and maps, it is true that the smartphone has usurped the humble calculator, never mind the need to perform mental mathematics. However, if you are destined for university then the ability to perform quick mental calculations will still prove useful. In particular, when lazing in front of daytime television, maths whizzes will be able to astound housemates who are still fumbling for their phones as the Countdown clock ticks inexorably down.

Science

Every time there was a practical lesson – and even sometimes when there wasn’t – somebody managed to set something alight. The ability to make fire might have been with us since the dawn of man but there’s no doubting it’s still a bit useful for cooking, keeping warm and the like.

MFL

The mass-market real-time voice translator might not be far away but in the meantime, it’s a particularly useful skill to be able to communicate effectively with our European neighbours. This makes them particularly valuable on a holiday to the continent.

Design and Technology

From woodwork to metalwork to D&T, a hands-on and practical subject that’s always changed with the times will probably produce the civilians most likely to be able to switch off the automatons before they take over and then rebuild our communities. The future of mankind is in your hands, D&T graduates.

Your subject not covered? Tell us what you think is your gift to students that will stay with them beyond exams.

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