The debate about whether to teach soft skills in schools is a contentious one. 

On the pro side, there’s the view that succeeding in academic study doesn’t guarantee that a student will have good soft skills; these need to be learned and honed through interactions.

Young people spend a significant amount of their time in schools, it is argued, so it makes sense that they should focus on developing these interaction-driven skills there. 

Quick read: 7 ways to make art inspiring at primary

Quick listen: How to teach handwriting: a comprehensive guide

Want to know more? Curriculum: scrutinise the evidence before you change tack

Where else can they nurture abilities in areas like problem-solving, decisiveness and leadership? 

Team sports or hobbies can help, yes, but not all students participate, and the amount of time given to them pales in comparison to school activities. 

Others argue, however, that there is no place for this sort of learning in schools - with valuable curriculum time being spent on breaking eggs over each other’s heads or fashioning sculptures out of Play-Doh. 

It is our job is to ensure students leave school with qualifications, they say, and that’s what we should focus on. 

Wasted opportunity

But I say that it is within our power to enrich our students’ lives and give them the best possible chance of success as global citizens. We should not ignore the wonderful opportunity we have been given to do this.

I don’t advocate time being taken away from the teaching of the academic curriculum and redirected to the teaching of soft skills, particularly if it is ill-thought out or gimmicky.

Placing undue emphasis on explicitly teaching these skills is unnecessary and can be a burden on teachers, whose curriculum time has been reduced and who are instead being asked to deliver sessions outside of their skillsets.

Instead, soft skills can be fostered in our day-to-day lessons without students even realising - yes, it’s possible to do this without getting them to build towers out of straws!

We just need to be more mindful about the ways that we interact with one another, how we distribute responsibilities and how we exhibit behaviours ourselves.

Universal skills

Healthy, positive school environments depend on soft skills such as time management, communication, flexibility and fair negotiation in just the same way that many adult environments do (and I don’t just mean working environments; travel, leisure pursuits and even mundane things like shopping can all benefit from good soft skills).

Clearly modelling these can help students understand appropriate behaviours for a variety of social situations.

Likewise, incorporating opportunities for public speaking, cooperative learning and trial and error into our lessons can be hugely beneficial. 

Experiencing the nerves that go hand in hand with public speaking, playing a pivotal role within a team, and facing failure before success can all support students in becoming more responsible, decisive and confident. 

With the right planning, these opportunities can fit seamlessly into the curriculum (public speaking following an extended writing activity, for example).

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, lessons in empathy are key to nurturing soft skills. We can follow the curriculum and teach crucial exam skills at the same time as developing students’ ability to relate to others and show compassion. 

It’s as simple as looking at what texts we choose to read with them, what topics we use to teach our subjects, and what global events and crises we draw their attention to.

By allowing students to place themselves in someone else’s shoes, however briefly, we are giving them vital lessons in what it means to be a human.         

So, let’s bring the debate to an end and instead recognise that it is the simple things that we do every day that can help to foster our students’ soft skills, leaving them with academic and non-academic skillsets which will better prepare them for navigating the complex adult world.

Laura Tsabet is lead practitioner of teaching and learning at a school in Bournemouth. She tweets @lauratsabet