Sir, – Sadly, our society is learning we are a throwaway lot, not fixing things, nor even maintaining what works. Retailers constantly recommending the latest, greatest model pushes us to replace perfectly good and still useful stuff.
Increasingly we’re realising this is not a good route to the kind of world that will sustain us into the uncertain future.
In the past, even in my time, we learned practical skills from our parents. But this can’t be relied on now when so many parents both work, or don’t have the necessary skills themselves.
A good solution can be learned from China, where in mandatory weekly classes students learn essential domestic and practical skills, including cooking, cleaning, using basic tools, farming and community volunteering.
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In addition to academic studies, they learn what are considered essential life skills.
Isn’t this something our education experts should consider? – Yours, etc,
SHEILA DEEGAN,
St John’s Wood,
Dublin 3.
