There is no doubt driving is a skill but is it a subject?

The Labour party have plans for work and labour, one of those plans is to have schools teach kids how to drive and part of those plans is to make driving a part of NCEA.

The broad principal if I understand it correctly, is we need more people with more practical skills.

Isn't life funny eh? For years we've been banging on about university and higher learning and qualifications and degrees and yet where is the work? In the practical world, in the trades and who are we looking to turn out from school now? - Kids who can drive.

Now here's the problem and we are going through this in our family at home, NCEA is a worry.

NCEA in theory isn't a bad idea. NCEA is about credits and blocks of learning and you build up a series of credits. The advantage is there is choice - lots more choice than when I was at school.

When I was at school it was the usual subjects, English, maths, the sciences, geography and history and if you wanted to push the boat out you might do a language or wood work.

These days the world is your oyster but part of that oyster are subjects that to be frank don't look that robust and as such, allow kids to sail through school learning god knows what and everyone seems to pass.

There is no doubt driving is a skill but is it a subject? There is no doubt you're more useful if you can drive but is it a key to a future of work? And if driving becomes part of NCEA what is it that you're not taking if you're taking driving and is it really the schools job to teach you driving?

Once again we seem to be blurring the line between parents and school.

As schools do more, homes do less, which for some homes is probably a blessing but somewhere in the original mix was the idea that schools do stuff they're specialists in. That you teach what others can't, you pick up in areas where home can't help, Algebra would be one example.

Then school became councillors and psychologists as increasing numbers of kids rolled up with any amount of baggage so what now? Driving and dating advice? What to wear to the movies?

Where is school stopping and home starting? Are we to call teachers parents?

The more schools do, the more watered down it becomes. They are spread too thin as it is and driving is laudable but it's not the schools job.