WHY ISN'T OFFICE POLITICS AND REALTED WORK SOCIAL SKILLS NOT INCLUDED IN school?

My children have courses in their school that are related to functioning in the real world workplace. The courses may not be called by the name you mentioned, but schools do have them. I would say that the biggest help to my children has been the group projects that they were assigned to do. While these were the most unpleasant of assignments, since they had to learn how to deal with jerks, know-it-alls and egotists, that is exactly what they needed to learn methods to cope and deal with all the jerks, know-it-alls and egotists they will meet in the real world workplace.

Social skills are developed in school. Most people develop very good social skills by the time they get through... it's called practice and maturity. Those that need extra help can seek it out but it would be silly to provide classes to the masses for what naturally happens anyway.

Office politics, same thing. Use you brain (school teaches you how to THINK) your maturity and, again, your brain. That's all that is required normally. There are always people who are social misfits and thus cannot hold a job, but that is a personal problem, not one that the educational system is strictly responsible for.

Add: This statement from the post below is just the most ridiculous thing I have ever read: "...schools are going to do away with LA, spelling, social studies, history, science, etc." Sir, I don't know if you're just being reactionary or what but if you believe that I have a two bridges I would like to sell you. YOW.

Is this even a serious question. Literature helps you in many of these cases. Education is about teaching a person how to think in a process or system, they will not go ahead and make a class called office politics how to get ahead in the office. That is almost as bad as sensitivity training for cats. If a person can think they can eventually learn how to get along with their office mates.

If such were taught in school, it WOULD POSITIVELY change the American workforce and it's structured employment environments. From the hole-in-the-wall business, to the Fortune 500 corporate global headquarter offices--we might just see a ten-fold evolution of profitable productivity and competition.....and a sharp reduction on workplace stresses, where some workers go "postal" and make the TV evening news.

But our schools don't offer such studies--which is why there's so much soap opera dramatics existent within our American employment work environments; where the brown-nosers move up and the grossly inept run things.....and everywhere, there's stews of business disaster waiting to spill on everyone.

Also, in UK at least, not taught how to manage money, bank accounts, dealing with the local Council, dealing with the authorities - far more use than most of the things I was taught (but didn't take in). School is supposed to be about teaching social skills and managing in the real, adult world. Some of us just have to learn the hard way.

Why don't they have anything else the kids need to learn in everyday life? Beats the heck out of me!

Around here, there's no home ec, no basic math like accounting and doing check books, etc.

The main reason this is happening is becuase of the 'no child left behind act'. THis is a federal law that mandates all public school kids to take tests every year. And their scores reflect how well the SCHOOL is teaching.

BUT, this law requires that schools teach on specific things, so the ONLY thing schools teach is what is going to be on these tests!!

I read a report recently that stated that these tests are mostly reading and math, and that schools are going to do away with LA, spelling, social studies, history, science, etc.

Can you believe it!! With all I have heard about schools in teh USA, and from my own experiences, I sure do believe it!!!

Not knowing where you grew up, I will say this. You are taught office politics in school and on the campus. From kindergarten on up through college, you have groups of friends and clicks. You just don't realize it iswhat you are learning.

Try to think back to those situations where someone behaved more like a leader while others just went along for the ride. This is classic office politics in the rough.

It is just that some of learn from these while others suffer from them.

Sounds like someone's a little bitter about their education!

People who make the most of their lives and education realise that they can improve social skills, common sense and how to get along with people in school - that's as close to office politics that any school aged child should be exposed to.

It's only people who close their minds and waste time who can't get along well in later life and end up in rubbish jobs - only classed as rubbish because they can't cope with 'office politics' because they didn't improve their social skills when they had the chance in school.

Sorry to be blunt but it's true!

Isn't that the point? To make sure you need to continue learning, to make you dependent on looking for someone to teach you what to do next. Some people say that if we were all so learned and politically aware and socially alert, there'd be even stiffer competition for jobs, we'd all be the same somewhat. Life's like that. Strange.

That is a million dollar question. It seems we put a priority on "academic" levels and not basic needs to properly function in society. Perhaps petitioning our government to make a change would help...Personally I believe a well rounded student is more valuable to society then one who is unable to survive in the real world.