Should soft skills be part of the school curriculum, with classroom time dedicated to developing these skills ?

This week, we'll examine issues in education reform. For example, some educators think that by focusing mainly on foundational knowledge in subjects like reading, math, and science, schools are not fully preparing students for success in the workplace. These educators argue that soft skills — non-academic skills, such as being empathetic or having a strong work ethic — should be part of the curriculum, with classroom time dedicated to developing these skills. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Soft skills are important, but I don't agree with using classroom time to work on them. I'm not sure how teachers would measure students' progress in developing these skills. If students' progress can't be measured on something being taught, I'm not sure if there's any point to teaching it.

I agree. While students need a strong foundation in academic subjects, soft skills are important because they affect how well students do their work. If classroom time is set aside for these skills, students will take them seriously and their academic work will benefit. Teachers could design lessons so that students learn about a skill and then do role-playing activities with classmates.