It depends on whether you are referring to adding more activities that require oral presentations by students as individuals or part of a group presentation or the inclusion of the actual teaching of public speaking skills and suitable practice.Then into nursing school we were required to deliver a speech on our spiritual belief. Mine at the time were a little off centre, remember the alien speech, yep, more of it. The instructor wasn’t impressed. It didn’t fit her view of reality.
The point I’m trying to make here is that while I believe that public speaking should be factored into curriculums of schooling at every level, it needs to be balanced with actual instruction on how to communicate publicly. It also needs to be taught by those that can actually do it themselves, have a passion for the subject and are willing to help others gain the skills.
I have seen too many people that have been traumatized by early school speaking assignments that have affected them for life.
I know of one fellow Toastmaster that has a business teaching public speaking to youth. She seems to be very successful at it. She works with kids that really want to improve themselves and become better speakers. Maybe this is the way to go rather than having the Gym teacher take on one more course to teach that they are ill suited for.
Thanks for your question.
