Adulting 101 a Must for Students [OPINION]

Imagine learning something in high school that you can apply to your everyday life after Mom and Dad kick you out of their basement. There is a high school in Kentucky that is offering some helpful information to it's graduating students and they love it.

Fox-5 in Louisville says Adulting 101 is a three-day workshop offered to seniors at Fern Creek High School where students prep for “real-life” scenarios dealing with life as a non-kid. Students learn about such things as how to change a tire, routine plumbing and household repair tips, cooking, money management, leases, retirement, and basic banking/loans.

Students are awarded prizes such as mini-fridges and microwaves, thanks to donations from the school's Alumni Association.

What a fabulous idea.

Obviously, our schools must continue to focus on providing a solid education for our youth that includes history, science, math, and reading, but at the same time we need to adjust the system to allow it to provide more useful information as well that our kids can confidently call upon when they are on their own.

Back in the day, schools offered shops and home economics that provided at least a basic set of skills to young people in preparing them for the real world. Much of that has been discontinued now.

The number one complaint I hear from school kids is that they are presented with so little information they will actually find useful in everyday life. Many are clamoring for just the type of thing Fern Creek High is offering.

The public school system needs to provide students with the tools they need to be successful, and that includes some basic survival skills that will make them more confident young adults.

Our area school districts need to examine what Fern Creek High School is doing and consider adopting and even expanding upon those concepts here.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.