New subjects that may be taught in the future

The subjects taught in classrooms have varied greatly over the years. While mathematics and english have been taught consistently over the centuries, other subjects have come and gone with the passing of time. Up until the early 20th century latin was taught in the majority of schools, and as late as the 1950`s it was mandatory for about 25% of pupils. Home economics, though still  offered in some schools, was taught to all female pupils until fairly recently. It was dropped as a GCSE in 2016, as it was believed it was believed interchangeable in content to GCSE Food Technology. Typing skills were also taught, but was primarily a college based subject, aimed at those who planned to become secretaries or stenographers.

The last decade has seen perhaps the greatest number of new subjects added to the curriculum, with most of these additions being IT themed. Computer Science replaced the existing ICT (Information and Communications Technology) subject back in 2012. The very first computer science qualification, the Cambridge Diploma in Computer Science, was first taught in the newly created Cambridge Computer Laboratory back in 1953. With the growing prominence of computer technology in everyone`s lives, the discipline has grown over the years, with the national curriculum now stipulating that computing is mandatory at stages 1 - 4. They have also stressed that a `high quality computing education equips children to use computational thinking, and creativity to understand the world.`

Predicting what subjects will be taught in the future may well be a foolhardy enterprise, but it would be safe to assume that with the growing reliance and ubiquity of technology in all our lives, there will be a greater demand for IT specialists, and a concomitant increase in the diversification of the subject taught in school.

Perhaps a more prosaic forecast could be a subject like personal finance. According to a recent Citizens Advice report, young people (17-24 year olds) have an average debt to income ratio of  nearly 70% - thats compared to just 34% for 25-29 year olds, and only 11% for those in the 60-64 year age bracket. By teaching students good money habits, they will be less likely to get themselves into financial problems later in life.

Relationship values are another subject that may feature more prominently on the curriculum in the future. Relationships and sex education are already taught in schools, and have been since 2017, but it is very possible that the subject will develop, becoming more nuanced, and covering different aspects of a relationship, such as childcare, or sharing domestic tasks.

Mindfulness, meditation, and any other techniques to help students deal with school-related stress may be taught in the future. In Singapore, a country with one of the longest school days, and perhaps the highest incidence of study-related stress, regular relaxation sessions are included in each student`s timetable. Perhaps this is something we will see in UK schools at some point, or simply lessons where students are taught how to practice mindfulness, so they can lower their anxiety levels whenever they need to.

First aid is another subject that become a regular fixture in students` timetables. The British Red Cross have bemoaned how `the majority of people in the UK lack the confidence or skills to provide basic first aid in an emergency situation,` going on to say that up to 59% of deaths from injuries could have been prevented if only first aid had been administered before the emergency medical services arrived.

As of 2020 all state schools have been required to teach some first aid as part of their Health and Education module. The training is understandably very basic, being generally taught just to primary school children, and dealing with common injuries. There have been calls for first aid to be taught in secondary schools, and to a more advanced level, which might include resuscitation techniques, performing CPR, and the use of a defibrillator.