5 Reasons Why Survival Should Be Taught In Schools

Even our best schools lack the survival skills classes our children need in order to be prepared for the real rough life. Students are graduating from both high school and college unprepared for the world.

You surely need to know how to add, subtract and divide, but you most definitely also need to know the essentials of life, like basic cooking, how to start a fire, what to do first in an emergency situation. It’s a parents’ job, you could say, but it is important that American educators help parents and teach these skills in schools, too. There are a lot of reasons why:

It helps children learn how to think

It may sound strange, but children are mostly taught how to learn (memorize information), instead of being taught how to think – to reason, to analyze, to solve problems (other than mathematical ones), to weigh evidence, to explain the larger significance of events that happen to them and to the world.

Teaching them about survival will improve their way of thinking, the way they make sense of all the information they read every day in magazines or see on TV. Critical thinking skills are essential in a world of mainstream media brainwashed people.

They become more curious, therefore more informed

The general lack of curiosity found in classrooms is worrying. Kids are not curious at all anymore to search for new things, to discover people and places, to interpret what’s going on in the world and how events affect them. They just take everything that’s given to them and lose the will to seek interesting things themselves.

Learning about survival will develop our children’s ability to ask the right questions, to search for the practical information that matters, to be curious about everything, to explore. Kids too need to know things as they are, we won’t be by their side forever to protect them.

They become responsible

While not only learning to memorize and regurgitate some facts but gaining knowledge and practicing survival skills, our children will become more responsible — socially, economically and environmentally. They will also come to better realize their and others’ responsibilities at home, at school and later at work.

Teaching them how to pack a bug-out bag, for example, or how to give first aid might be a good lesson for them about the greater sense of responsibility people need to develop to meet the challenges of our times. How to make a good plan, knowing what to do when disaster strikes, these simple things help educate children to use the resources they have wisely, to work not only for themselves but for the benefit or their families and their nation, too.

They discover independence

When they leave home for college, for instance, most kids haven’t got a clue of what it means to live alone, to take care of themselves and their new home. And it is difficult for them to adjust to the new environment. Some of them don’t know how to cook a simple dish, to do laundry or what to do in case of power outage because all these things were always taken care of by their parents.

These are crucial things they need to know in order to survive and be comfortable and self-reliant at home. They don’t need to depend on anyone else but themselves. Of course, it’s our duty to teach them ourselves, but educators should help them as well until it all becomes a healthy habit.

A simple and optional Cooking Course during the year will most likely be forgotten over summer break by most children. That’s why we should always reinforce the information they learn with lots of activities, on a regular basis. It may be tiring, but it’s important that they understand the importance of always being prepared.

It’s good for the whole family

If all your loved ones are able to provide maximum security for the people by their side when something bad happens, everybody will face extreme situations easier and with more confidence.

You won’t be the only one dealing with all the prepping, planning and looking for survival techniques, the only one stressed out by all that responsibility. Your kids and grandkids can help and make something fun out of prepping, something that strengthens bonds between family members. Better use spare time for building your future than watching TV, right?

There are a lot more reasons survival should be taught in school, such as developing agility, adaptability, initiative, and problem-solving skills. What you can do about it is go to your kids’ or grandkids’ school and share this idea with a teacher or the principal. It’s the best way to help create a better future for the next generations.

By My Family Survival Plan