What’s a thing you wish schools actually taught?

That’s a tricky one because it highly depends on state and region. For example in my high school I learned about how to buy a car and how buying a house works. Also I learned about income, taxes, and how money functions. So the debate on schools should have taught taxes and how to buy a house does not apply to me because I learned that in school. Granted I went to high school in NYC, in the special education system on the path for higher education. So, this model doesn’t apply to ALL NYC schools.

Which leaves to the question the debate about common sense and sexual education. Common sense is a false debate because what’s considered common sense to one person is very subjective. And when it comes to sexual education people automatically assume the intercourse part instead of the complexity of what “sex” is. Sex is an umbrella term for multiple things, which is why there’s such a huge debate over it.

In my high school we had a lackluster excuse of Sex Ed. We learned body parts. But I grew up with a sister who was studying to be a nurse. So I got most of my sexual education from reading her textbooks. I understand the basic concepts of anatomy, sexual transmitted diseases (STD), and how babies are made, long before I took the high school Sex Ed class in my senior year. (Side note: my sister didn’t process with getting her nursing degree, and I know more about the human body than her. Go figure.)

So, I do think “Sex Ed” should be taught PROPERLY in schools. From teaching the basics of the human anatomy to diseases. But instead of calling it “Sexual Education” it should be something along the lines of “Human Biology”. Because that’s more align with the goal of sex education. Then there should be a high school junior and senior class about “Human Psychology”, which covers the psychology behind gender and sexuality. “Human Psychology” is the second course under the “Sexual Education” category because humans are complex and should have a long enough time to teach instead of rushing the program.

The “Human Biology” classes should be taught since what’s considered Middle School (not a lot of places have a “middle school” system.) This way it can be taught at a slower pace.