The survey of over 1,000 adults, commissioned to launch a new quiz based on modern GCSEs, found that the majority of UK adults wish they had learnt more about money and DIY and less about fractions and square roots.
When asked if they feel their school education prepared them for adult life, almost a fifth of 18 to 24 year olds said they strongly disagreed that school set them up well for real life. Just 13 per cent of adults surveyed overall said they strongly agreed that school prepared them for adult life and work.
Half of women wish they had been taught basic DIY skills while at school and over a quarter of men wish they had been taught how to cook a healthy meal.
The top 10 skills adults wish they’d been taught in school are, basic DIY skills, how to write a CV, self defence, car maintenance, how to manage money, about credit cards and debt, different types of taxes and how they are paid, how to stop a leak, how to cook a healthy meal and mental health awareness.
It’s not just life skills many Brits wish they had learnt more about. When asked which modern subjects they wish were an option when they took their GCSEs, a fifth of 18 to 24 year olds would have taken Food Preparation and Nutrition.
Top five modern GCSE subjects Brits wish they could’ve taken were Computer Science, Law, Psychology, Business Studies, Economics.
However, when asked what the best lessons learnt at school were, many listed life lessons such as ‘be yourself’, how to ‘get on with other people’ and to ‘respect everyone’ were listed as top reasons.
Dr Nick Smith, Courses Director and founder of Oxford Open Learning Trust, said: “There is definitely a correlation between skills we wish we had learned and subjects we wish we could have taken, in that they are practical life skills that we now encounter daily.
“Core subjects are still important to education and job prospects but learning shouldn’t stop there – some of the more modern GCSEs are great for teaching a more vocational set of skills.
“School is full of many life lessons, but maybe now it’s time we start to incorporate realistic skills into the curriculum. It’s never too late to learn new skills or take a GCSE and our Would You Pass? quiz gives adults an idea of what some of the new modern GCSE exam questions are like.”
Click here to test your whether you’d pass some of the modern GCSEs now: http://www.ool.co.uk/would-you
