RE: Integration into academics is inadequate

Marshall, I think you made my point better than I did.  Again, I would warn about terminology - 'life skills' was a curricular plan of sorts back at mid century so we need to define what that means and I think you began that definition.  Educational experiences should be valuable not for some distant future but right now.  Ed for life can be and should be more than skills based.  It should intellectual, problem solving and application.   My last child is coming to the end of the 'public school' experience and I saw opportunities to connect the relevancy of her subjects lost.  Biology was spent copying, coloring, labeling diagrams and answering questions in the back of the book.  Rather than focusing on understanding some larger concept, ie systems and how this particular area of study, ie respiratory system, contribute to a broader and deeper understanding.  Integration would come as other systems, ie economic, political, cultural systems are studied and linked.