Time for our kids to have an excursion into the real world
They are supposed to be studying the architecture, of course, going to museums, being astonished by the planetarium, "wowed" by the arts, absorbed by the cultural icons and amazed by the aquarium.
I've always thought kids seeing dolphins was a bit of a joke because they are very similar in many ways: we know they're intelligent but we just can't communicate with them.
But if my kids are anything to go by, the educational content of these exercises is not so much in the astrology, the ichthyology and the cetology as the ecophysiology, the interaction of these spotty little organisms with their environment.
Let loose with nothing more than a map, a meeting place and four hours of free time to fill, it is always interesting to see where the horde gets to after the compulsory visit to the nearest 7-Eleven for a slushee. There is a lot to learn in the CBD and some of the first lessons seem to include:
■How to walk 15 abreast on a pavement.
■How to read a map.
■What to do when lost.
■How to travel on public transport and pay for it (not that easy).
■How to text, drink a slushee and walk at the same time.
It's interesting stuff but I can't help feeling that if you're going to go to the trouble of dragging a lot of absorbent juveniles into the city, you really should make more of the experience and rather than fill them with fantasy experiences like sharks and whales, use the opportunity to let them experience real life, something many of them have never known and doesn't exist in their virtual world where everything is provided, everything is cleaned up and everything is free.
So having got them here, why not show them something that will dwell with them long after the squeaks and toots of the dolphins have gone. Like showing them a whole year's worth of their mobile phone bills; taking them to the office cubicle where their parents sit and making them sit there and do something of value for the same amount of time their parents have to sit there to pay it off, because if their parent (to be generous) earns $100,000 pre-tax a year plus super (the average wage in Australia is less than that at $69,992 a year), they'll have to sit in that cubicle for:
■Five days and one hour to pay their kid's $1000 annual phone bill. Vastly longer when they run over their monthly plan with no more regret than a "Sorry, I didn't know".
■Another three days and seven hours for every iPhone 5 they lose and don't give a stuff about.
■Seven days and two hours to cover that MacBook Air.
■Three days and five hours for a year's worth of zone one public transport travel.
■Thirty-seven days and six hours to cover their personal family food bill.
■Four days and two hours to
cover their share of the family electricity bill.
■Extracurricular sports memberships, two days five hours.
■Clothes, let's call it a month.
■The school fees for one year - Catholics: 12 weeks, two days, four hours; non-Catholics: 26 weeks, two days, four hours; and the school fees for that top grammar school in Geelong: 33 weeks, two days, seven hours. (The top grammar school year 12 fee is now $32,400 after tax, absorbing 66 per cent of the average Australian annual salary after tax, and it went up 5 per cent last year, double the inflation rate).
Now no one begrudges our spotty little irks costing us money, of course. Someone did it for us, and when they have kids they'll
have to do it for someone else. But the next time they're up in the city taking the effort to depart their fantasy world for a moment, let's not show them another one full
of stars and aquariums. Let them visit the real world because
there are no whales or dolphins
you can't communicate with up here, except of course for the other clipboard-toting juveniles swimming 15 abreast.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
The article argues that school excursions into the CBD should do more than show whales, dolphins and planetariums. Instead, they’re a chance to teach kids practical real-world lessons — like how cities work, how to use public transport, map reading and basic financial reality — so children see the connection between everyday costs and the time parents spend working to pay for them.
According to the article, kids learn simple but useful city skills such as how to walk 15 abreast on a pavement, how to read a map, what to do when they get lost, how to travel on and pay for public transport, and even multitasking skills like texting, drinking a slushee and walking at the same time.
The author suggests showing kids a year’s worth of a mobile phone bill or taking them to a parent’s office cubicle so they experience how long their parent must sit at work to pay for things. This helps children understand that items and services cost money and that parents trade time at work to cover those costs — a lesson that tends to stick much longer than seeing dolphins.
The article converts costs into the amount of time a parent earning $100,000 pre-tax would need to sit at a cubicle to pay for items. Examples given include: five days and one hour to cover a $1,000 annual phone bill; three days and seven hours per lost iPhone 5; seven days and two hours for a MacBook Air; three days and five hours for a year’s zone one public transport; thirty-seven days and six hours for the personal family food bill; and four days and two hours for a share of the family electricity bill.
The article states a parent earning $100,000 pre-tax would need to work five days and one hour to pay a $1,000 annual mobile phone bill.
Specific examples in the article show that replacing an iPhone 5 costs about three days and seven hours of work time, a MacBook Air about seven days and two hours, a year’s zone one public transport three days and five hours, and the family’s personal food bill about thirty-seven days and six hours — illustrating how quickly everyday costs add up.
The article highlights how school fees can consume a large share of family income. It gives time equivalents for parents on a $100,000 pre-tax salary: about 12 weeks, two days and four hours for one year of Catholic school fees; 26 weeks, two days and four hours for non-Catholic school fees; and 33 weeks, two days and seven hours for a top grammar school. It adds that the top grammar school year 12 fee is now $32,400 after tax, which the article says absorbs 66% of the average Australian annual salary after tax and rose 5% last year — double the inflation rate.
The article recommends using the excursion to make abstract costs tangible: show children real bills (for example a phone bill), take them into a parent’s workplace to compare time spent working with the cost of items, and discuss how everyday purchases and school fees relate to family budgets. These practical demonstrations help kids connect spending to real work time and foster financial awareness.
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