[Columbine]

The only things that really strikes me as glaringly weird about the American school system are a) nobody seems to know what geography is and b) you don't specialize on your subjects until really late.

The latter only probably seems weird because in the UK you have to start refining your classes when you are 14-15, picking your GCSE subjects. The former just seems like a gap in the curriculum.

But I do think some school subjects should have more real-life focus. Especially practical subjects like Techs. I don't need to know how to calculate the amount of calcium in a meal to balance an imaginary child's diet, what I really need is to know what and how I can cook this lump of meat, defrost it without poisoning myself and the difference between it and that other lump of meat. I doubt there will ever be a pressing need for me to vacuum form plastic, but I would love to actually know the names of these thingy-bobs and how they are holding the hoojamacallit together, so I know what to ask for and how to fix it when stuff breaks. How to grout tiles! Hang a door! Iron silk fabric! Thank God for google.

It's easy to assume that these are just simple life-skills that people will learn at home, but that's not entirely true because not everyone is in that kind of situation. I have lived in so many house shares where I've actually been the only one capable of feeding herself a proper meal and not freaking out and calling the landlord every time the shower curtain comes off the wall.

Actually though, in the UK they are starting to do things like invite banks to talk at the school and explain personal financing to students, and what interest rates are and the difference between bonds and ISAs and so forth.