A survey from outdoor education provider, The Outward Bound Trust, suggests that two-thirds of British adults felt childhood experiences outside the classroom equipped them better for what lay ahead when they left school.
More than 2,000 adults were surveyed by the Trust across the UK, and were asked to describe things they learnt at school that they still remembered today, but have served no benefit in adult life. Answers included:
- “I still remember certain French phrases and I’ve never used French in my life”.
- “I got music O-Level and worked in construction all my life.”
- “One specific thing I remember from school that hasn’t really benefited me in adult life is the detailed process of factoring quadratic equations.”
- “The inventor of the spinning jenny, who was James Hargreaves.”
- “The Pythagorean theorem. I remember the formula (a² + b² = c²) and how to apply it, but haven’t had any practical use for it in my adult life.”
James Ferguson, communications manager of The Outward Bound Trust, said: “School is a precious, vital and exciting time for everyone, with lessons learnt that last a lifetime – but some lessons have precious little use in our adult lives once we walk out the school gate for the last time.”
The Outward Bound Trust’s study quizzed people going back to the 1950s. A third (33%) said things they remember learning in class were more useful, but around two in five (39%) said experiences away from class were far more valuable as life lessons.
Ferguson added: “We carried out this research to understand how adults consider life skills such as resilience sat alongside their formal education, going back over 50 years.
“Not all young people thrive in traditional education, and there’s always a need to challenge the system’s ability to fully prepare young people for the real world.
“For many youngsters, outdoor expeditions can be a more effective way of evaluating students’ capabilities – with skills that are often overlooked by traditional exams but are crucial in life, such as teamwork, leadership and adaptability.”
Lessons learnt outside the classroom during school days which were described as ‘particularly handy in adult life’ included:
- “being disciplined”
- “leadership and decision making”
- “not getting bullied”
- “being independent”
- “social skills”
- “kindness to humanity and the environment”.
Outward Bound offers youngsters adventures and courses that take them on a journey of self-discovery, promising to leave comfort zones behind, with six centres located across some of the UK’s wildest mountains and landscapes.
For more information go to www.outwardbound.org.uk.
