This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

What Makes a Good Education These Days?

Join the discussion on what you think children need to learn to be best prepared for their future.

Last week's Moms Talk conversation had me thinking—what constitutes a good education in today's world? Have the expectations evolved from when we were growing up, for better or for worse? 

Off the top of my head, when I think of a good education, I want my kids to be introduced to a variety of subjects, so that they can not only learn the basics, but become aware of different subjects.

I think that being introduced to a varied curriculum provides the ability to find one's talents, and that ultimately using your talents to the best of your ability creates a meaningful and productive life.

Find out what's happening in Parsippanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For me, I would be disappointed with an education that didn't include art, music and creative writing, plus optional vocational classes at the high school level, since I don't think everyone needs a college degree and I think learning a trade can be an excellent career path. Or is a college degree necessary in today's competitive world?

I'm not sure how expectations have evolved in terms of school since my kids are not school age, yet. I would say that for the Pre-K set, many parents I meet in Parsippany send their children to preschool as early as 2 years old.  I personally didn't attend preschool until I was 4.

Find out what's happening in Parsippanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

I think it's a good thing for kids to socialize early on and I think that kids are sometimes more receptive to adults other than their primary caretakers, in terms of paying attention.  

My daughter was in daycare full-time up until very recently and right now I don't intend on sending her to preschool until age 4, because I have her enrolled in preschool educational activities that we can do together. However, I think preschool is a necessity for kindergarten preparation and I can understand why parents would want to start early. 

I'm interested in what others think about educating our kids for their world and what has changed (or needs to)?

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

Patch Mayors are trusted local users who help moderate the Patch platform by promoting good local stories and flagging unwanted content. To learn more, click here.