Toronto Schools To Increase Math For Kids
So the Toronto school board will increase math for kids as next year even elementary school kids will get an hour of math each day. They claim that an increase in math will better prepare kids for their futures.
I agree with them that it certainly doesn’t hurt to increase math at the schools. This will help kids get into fields like engineering and sciences easier. However, I would not say that math is the most important area to focus on in terms of a curriculum adjustment for the development of our youth.
As a youth speaker and college speaker, I’ve met many kids through my speaking engagements at schools. In my general observation of high school and college level students, I would say that their generation is much more tech savy than ever.
They are comfortable with computers, internet and many types of tech applications. It’s even said that if you need help with computers, just ask a teen in your neighbourhood to help you!
Interpersonal Communications Skills More Important
However, I have noticed a downside to this increase in tech comfort. I find that many students have a lack of interpersonal communications skills, especially during in person situations. Many of these kids cannot hold a decent conversation with an adult.
The Toronto school board thinks that by increasing math at schools will result in helping kids become more successful in the future. But I believe that weak interpersonal communication skills, which is not addressed by math classes, will result in limiting futures for this generation of kids. Even if these future graduates are able to eventually get jobs in their chosen fields, chances of promotions to management levels will be limited for anyone with poor communications skills.
Companies want managers to have superior communications skills so that these employees can effectively work with many different levels of staff as well as customers and clients. Technical skills alone will not be enough for most management positions.
Communications skills especially when applied to today’s diverse working environment, should be a top priority in terms of development for anyone who wants to advance towards higher positions in their careers. Unfortunately, such skills are not often developed even at home because many parents are not great communicators themselves, especially from very technical families.
It is interpersonal communications skills that is one of the key areas I stress during my youth and college speaking programs and I make sure that certain audience group activities to help start develop such skills are included in every program I run.
So I would say to Toronto schools as well as all other schools, yes, increase the math but also make sure that there are changes in school curriculums to help students develop interpersonal communications skills too.
