The Un-School

I recently wrote on Why Investing & Money Are Undertaught, closing with a Beautiful Question: “What topics not taught today in schools should be?”

What’s the curriculum for “The Un-School”?

Now:

I’m very interested in what you think belongs on this list — anything I’m missing? Let me know!

The distinction between what kids should learn outside of schools vs. what they should learn in the classroom is subjective. I’m not “blaming” schools. I’m encouraging new thinking, in particular with a focus on the eminently practical…

Each topic could be “plugged in” once a year for one month, and therefore could be covered in full from ages 8-18, which is how they are roughly ordered. (The Un-School could also be done as a “Jan Plan” or summer experience.)

I’m confident that any single one of my 10 topics would, on its own, seriously strengthen our kids’ personal, and the global, future. But fully unleashed, The Un- School revolutionizes education and human flourishing. “That was the most important part of my schooling” will, I predict, be the primary reflection of these students when they later reflect back as adults.

Here you go:

• Nutrition (age 8): Understand how what we eat drives our physical health.
• Mental Fitness (9): Study positive intelligence and looking on the bright side.
• Character (10): Provide or invite some core values, and go in depth on each.
• Money (11): Saving and spending.
• Innovation & Technology (12): Integrate smartphones, social media, AI, etc. into your life appropriately.
• Investing (13): The power of compounding.
• Psychology (14): Covering the most important cognitive biases.
• Leadership (15): We are all potential leaders, but how?
• Parenting (16): Such an important and undertaught topic! And at an important age…
• Success (17-18): This is of course very subjective and very eminently worthy of reflection! So invite presentations from successful adults in diverse fields. Most of all, as our kids graduate and become adults, we want them to succeed. Help them see how.

No large public school system likely can take “risk” at scale launching compulsory Un- Schooling.

I leave it to the edge cases, and the dreamers. Let’s talk.