By: Sandra Ericson

Sandra Ericson — Wed, 15 May 2024 23:18:13 +0000

Dear Editor,
When I see articles concluding that children need to learn how to personally navigate their own society as though it was a recent enlightened discovery only accomplished by a few special programs, I have to wonder where common sense is. Few people at any age can live independently, urban or rural, and grasp that college is a means to that end without being specifically educated to do so. It is personal, not professional education, and it is AWOL in American schools, contrary to the policies of most advanced countries. Whether that education is instilled at home, less likely now, or throughout the K-12 school years, it must happen for each child, or they will struggle, learn by trial and error, have delayed maturation, and have less future potential. Our social systems are the most complex and competitive in the world; therefore, we must have a universal personal life education program, physical and psycho-social, in all public schools to ensure a successful transition to adulthood, regardless of professional goals. The program developed by Cornell to do that is called Human Ecology. It lays the foundation for K-12 students to understand and meet human needs, to realize that communal interest is self-interest and that prospering is different than getting rich; it is the program that helps students achieve wholeness and agency as individuals. The U.S. handicaps its own future in every way by not fully educating its young people.

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By: Sandra Ericson