Schooling - kerspoon

I think most of what is taught to children is pointless.

That said, I think that the fact that they are taught is very important; it teaches them how to learn. Here are the things that I consider vital:

Learning (Teaching, Memory)
Communication (English Language, Presentations)
Research (Scientific Method)

That is it, if they come out knowing nothing else these things should be excellent in all pupils. The main aim of education up to 18 years old should be to teach people to learn and think for themselves. They should be able to:

Critically analyse a newspaper article then teach peers (Check sources. Fact check. Hi-light misleading passages. Decide if the author is biased).
Perform a literature review on a topic then teach peers.
Conduct a scientific valid study and then teach peers.
(Teach peers using a mix of verbal presentations, written literature and one-to-one tuition)

The next things are much easier learn at a young age:

Sport, Nutrition & Health
Maths
Foreign Languages
Using a Computer

These should be taught. In fact I think that most of these things can be brought in to every bit of schooling if done correctly. If that is done then we should have a lot of time to focus on fitness and maths.

Here is a few that I have considered as non-vital: art, textiles, history, science, geography, drama, religious education, music, design tech (workshop), business studies, finance.