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Can you tie a bow tie? Gut a fish? What about resuscitating someone who has stopped breathing? Or saying 'Can you help me please?' in Arabic, Cantonese, Urdu, Spanish and Russian?
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This week's edition of Country Life magazine has listed the 39 skills that it believes today's young people should master in addition to their academic studies.
'Vital though a formal academic education is,' the magazine writes, 'we feel that there is much more that a young person should know to see them through their twenties and life beyond.'
So what are these '39 steps to a better life'? Well, the ability to grow carrots from seed, pitch a tent, ride a bicycle and recognise music by Mozart, Elgar and Handel.
And that's just for starters. You should also be able to talk about five classics of English literature 'with authority and passion,' ride a horse 'to jackaroo standard', amuse young children for an hour with magic tricks and story telling and skin a rabbit.
How are you scoring so far? Because the list does have a serious intent.
'Will school leavers of today really be properly prepared for what life has to throw at them tomorrow?' Country Life asks.
Some may look at the list and say they are of more use to rural types than those who live in cities. After all, how often in urban settings are you required to deliver a baby lamb, handle a shotgun or drive a tractor?
There's also the sense that it's a little bit posh. How important is it to be able to address a member of the royal family correctly, taste the difference between Sauvingnon Blanc and Chardonnay or dance a waltz and an eightsome reel (that's a Scottish dance, for those who prefer what the list calls 'bopping to Lady Gaga')?
But there's something for everyone here: the list also asks if we can repair a bicycle puncture, manage a bank account, sustain a 10-shot rally at tennis and iron a shirt.
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Are they right? Or nostalgic for the age of traditional 'ladies and gentlemen'?
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It is a random mix of physical, emotional and technical skills, which range from being able to complain politely in a restaurant to being a 'tech whisperer', able to fix and set up the latest gadgets, as well as identify five constellations.
'They are skills we believe will contribute to a fulfilling life,' says the magazine, 'as well as increasing their sociability and all-roundedness.'
Country Life's advice for young people: 39 Steps to a Better Life. This website has some tips if you want to learn wilderness skills. Some nice videos from the Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook, including how to jump from a window into a rubbish bin, and how to make younger siblings less annoying.
This website has some tips if you want to learn wilderness skills. Some nice videos from the Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook, including how to jump from a window into a rubbish bin, and how to make younger siblings less annoying.
Some nice videos from the Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook, including how to jump from a window into a rubbish bin, and how to make younger siblings less annoying.