Subjects that should be mandatory in schools.......

@Elessar Id take self defence lessons and how to manage finances over "religious education" any day.

@jackieash We can take that out too without introducing any of those

@sevens Because the purpose of education isn't compensating for lack of parenting or to spit out worker ants, nor to prepare athletes.

Education is already painlessly underinvested, dispersive and long to complete as it is, last thing we need is to further waste resources in activities that are completely irrelevant to education.

@sevens It might be yours, it certainly isn't mine.

@Elessar How do we look after pupils who are gifted in areas other than academically? If someone has a natural grasp of say, simple household repairs but can't get their heads around learning a foreign language, for example, why not introduce those subjects?

@jackieash If they're optional at most, but the OP expressly says "mandatory".

Besides those are skills that can be learned out of school (i.e. working), as opposed to say, math, that is assumed to be a prerequisite and anyway couldn't be learned on the workplace even if you wanted to.

Who do you think you are? I've told you religion has no part of my history or culture or politics. Who are you to say otherwise?