Traditionally, schools have taught mathematics, physics, chemistry, and social and natural sciences. That is fine, because children need to learn science. Through the study of these subjects, children learn many useful things for life, such as critical and logical thinking, problem‑solving, social empathy, and respect for nature. Learning science also gives children an idea of the professional fields in which they may want to develop.

However, I believe that the education of generations before the new millennium should have been complemented with soft skills, which are also very important for children’s development as future adults. For example: nutrition, healthy cooking, personal finance, managing a household, overcoming the fear of public speaking, emotional management, conflict resolution, and teamwork. Many of these skills were not taught with the same intensity as integral calculus, the names of rivers and valleys, or the history of the Roman Empire. There are adults who have had to learn from scratch—and painfully—how to live in another country, how to avoid bankruptcy before turning 30, how to deal with the depression of a breakup, and how to accept loneliness. Many of these things could have been taught in school, giving adults at least a basic notion of what they need to do.

Lastly, as I have mentioned in other posts, advanced instruction in other languages—such as English or Chinese—is essential in children’s education today. Teenagers should finish high school with an international language certification.