IT IS good that schools are committing more curriculum time to the use of information technology to support learning. In this spirit, the Ministry of Education should fine-tune the curriculum at different education levels to prepare students for life as an adult.

Rather than merely integrate the teaching of life skills into the academic system, schools should reduce academic curriculum time and devote more time to teaching relevant life skills.

We need a proper life-skill curriculum and must train teachers to teach it. Life skills can refer to everything that adult life will require of the student - social, ethical and moral values, sex education, sports, the arts, career information, work ethics, homemaking (including parenthood and singlehood), changing communication modes and personal security issues.

Since assessment drives perceptions of importance, we could refine the requirements of primary and secondary education to put enough emphasis on life skills. Assessment in life skills should be able to show up those who lack the required skills to manage their lives as they grow up.

To give it greater emphasis, tertiary institutions and employers should be encouraged to see that as useful information in their decisions.

In so doing, I hope we allow children to enjoy their childhood while helping them to pick up the most relevant skills for their lives in the future.

Dr Jason Wong

This article was first published in The Straits Times.