Why do we learn so many useless things in school?

I have my Year 8 End Of Year Exams in a few days and I was thinking to myself: why do we learn so many useless things? Like realistically, barely anyone is going to use like 99% of RS and Music, and (this might just be my school) we do so much Latin even though NO ONE SPEAKS IT. Oh, and they expect us to learn French and German as well. Like, why? I understand French because people around the world do speak it, but German? Most Germans speak English better than an English person would ever speak German.
It might just be my school (which is a really academic-focused traditional school) or it might just be me, but I don't understand why we need to learn all of this when realistically we would be better off learning actually useful things (ahem law, taxes, first aid, etc.)

I have my Year 8 End Of Year Exams in a few days and I was thinking to myself: why do we learn so many useless things? Like realistically, barely anyone is going to use like 99% of RS and Music, and (this might just be my school) we do so much Latin even though NO ONE SPEAKS IT. Oh, and they expect us to learn French and German as well. Like, why? I understand French because people around the world do speak it, but German? Most Germans speak English better than an English person would ever speak German.
It might just be my school (which is a really academic-focused traditional school) or it might just be me, but I don't understand why we need to learn all of this when realistically we would be better off learning actually useful things (ahem law, taxes, first aid, etc.)

You don't learn things in school purely for the information, like a degree. You learn it to train your brain to think critically, synthesise and analyse information. Its not about the content itself, but about the skills which it gives you. Ok, some of the stuff (like maths or science) will be useful also for the content, but a large amount of it is to give you a foundational understanding of the world, and as a sort of 'brain training exercise'
This rhetoric that 'school doesn't teach you any real world skills' is false. The only argument people have is you don't learn taxes or first aid, which I'm sure you'll agree with me does not take 5 years to learn. Its a lazy way for people to diminish the importance of school.
Also, how are you going to know what you like if you've never learnt it? Just because you might not like german or french does not mean others won't. Also, the idea that 'in Germany everyone speaks english' is not only BS, but also obviously stupid because if you move to a country you obviously need to learn the language. Furthermore, you don't just learn the language, you learn about the culture, which is crucial if you want to do any type of job which involves speaking to people from other countries (more jobs than you think)
Finally, just be grateful you go to the school you do. It's almost certain you attend a private school (you do latin) or at least a really great state school, so don't waste those opportunities.

You said what I couldn't say😂

Hahah thanks bro

I have my Year 8 End Of Year Exams in a few days and I was thinking to myself: why do we learn so many useless things? Like realistically, barely anyone is going to use like 99% of RS and Music, and (this might just be my school) we do so much Latin even though NO ONE SPEAKS IT. Oh, and they expect us to learn French and German as well. Like, why? I understand French because people around the world do speak it, but German? Most Germans speak English better than an English person would ever speak German.
It might just be my school (which is a really academic-focused traditional school) or it might just be me, but I don't understand why we need to learn all of this when realistically we would be better off learning actually useful things (ahem law, taxes, first aid, etc.)

Yw dude 😂 I should be straight forward like shouldn't I!

Tbf lol I know way too much about this specific topic because I find it sooo annoying when people say this. Its clear they've digested some like BS influencer on youtube like jordan peterson or luke belmar who goes 'school is terrible i make more than the teachers.'

I have my Year 8 End Of Year Exams in a few days and I was thinking to myself: why do we learn so many useless things? Like realistically, barely anyone is going to use like 99% of RS and Music, and (this might just be my school) we do so much Latin even though NO ONE SPEAKS IT. Oh, and they expect us to learn French and German as well. Like, why? I understand French because people around the world do speak it, but German? Most Germans speak English better than an English person would ever speak German.
It might just be my school (which is a really academic-focused traditional school) or it might just be me, but I don't understand why we need to learn all of this when realistically we would be better off learning actually useful things (ahem law, taxes, first aid, etc.)

I agree totally. And I admire your independent thinking on this.
The education system that we have in the UK is based on The Prussian System.
The Prussian System was developed at the start of the Industrial Revolution. It was designed to produce more and better soldiers, factory workers and civil servants.
If you don't want to be a soldier, factory worker nor civil servant, there's an opportunity here. For you to educate yourself / train yourself / prepare yourself for your adult life a lot better than 99.9% of other pupils do.
So that you push yourself into getting better at:
Your understanding of the law from a practical point of view
First aid
Nutrition
Finance, including accounting to government standards. And budgeting
Sales skills
Public speaking
Social skills
Project planning skills. Gannt charts and all that.
Food shopping and cooking
Leadership skills
Specialised skills for whatever field of earning money you'd like to try first.
All of your friends at school will drift along. And after finishing their A levels, at the age of 18, they will be relatively unprepared for embarking on their adult life. You don't have to do the same as them.
Take responsibility for your own education and development.
Whilst others are worrying about building up their CV, you'll be focusing on earning loads of money and having an enjoyable time doing it.
You can start your own business today. Or when term ends. There's no minimum age requirement for starting your own business.

I have my Year 8 End Of Year Exams in a few days and I was thinking to myself: why do we learn so many useless things? Like realistically, barely anyone is going to use like 99% of RS and Music, and (this might just be my school) we do so much Latin even though NO ONE SPEAKS IT. Oh, and they expect us to learn French and German as well. Like, why? I understand French because people around the world do speak it, but German? Most Germans speak English better than an English person would ever speak German.
It might just be my school (which is a really academic-focused traditional school) or it might just be me, but I don't understand why we need to learn all of this when realistically we would be better off learning actually useful things (ahem law, taxes, first aid, etc.)

To a certain extent I agree with you. It is a known fact that kids often come out of school with good grades but knowing f all about how to life. If someone does it is because they are either lucky at the school they are at or they taught themselves (not everyone is able to do this which is why it should be taught more at school or college).

You have no idea what you are talking about
'Civil servants, soldiers and factory workers'
Our army is voluntary and we receive no sort of pressure/education which would incline us to join it during school
Civil servants are essential for the UK, and provide a stable, relatively high paying job (doctors, economists etc.)
Factory workers? We don't have factories anymore?
Lets go through your 'skills' next
First aid - mandatory in school
Nutrition - come on, this is so easy to learn with the internet, but again, taught in school
Finance, including accounting to government standards. Budgeting - valid, but this is really not hard to learn and obviously does not take 5 years to learn
Sales skills - dying industry, why would we teach sales in school? Thats BS and you know it. If you want to work in sales go work in sales, why teach it in an academic environment. Plus you can learn it anyway through things like theatre, drama or english
Public speaking - you literally have to do a public speaking as part of english GCSE, and there are tonnes of debating societies/competitions and public speaking opportunities at school
Social skills - oh, so 15 years of being in classes of 30 people isn't good enough?
Project planning skills. - what does this even mean? you have to do tonnes of projects in school?
Gannt charts and all that. - learnt as part of uni/jobs where it is needed, I don't think basic excel is what is missing from schools.
Food shopping and cooking - you can take food tech for GCSE, but almost always taught at home/at uni/online. Who needs to be taught how to shop?
Leadership skills - Already been addressed earlier in project planning, you have to do tonnes of projects in and out of school which require leadership
Specialised skills for whatever field of earning money you'd like to try first. - YOU LEARN THIS IN SCHOOL
Alright, what 'businesses' have you started? 'being more entrepreneurial' or just 'starting a business' is not for everyone, and the way you succeed in business is by learning a skill or an industry and then starting one. I'm not sure if you've been brainwashed as well by all of these fake gurus telling you to start 'dropshipping' or 'ecom stores,' but surely you're smart enough to realise its all a scam.

Factory workers? We don't have factories anymore?
Hyperbolic statement. Over 17% of UK GDP was from manufacturing. Where do you think manufacturing takes place? In people's living rooms?
Nutrition - come on, this is so easy to learn with the internet, but again, taught in school
The nutrition teaching in school is so good that we don't have an obesity epidemic in this country... Oh hang on! 😄
Sales skills - dying industry, why would we teach sales in school? Thats BS and you know it. If you want to work in sales go work in sales, why teach it in an academic environment. Plus you can learn it anyway through things like theatre, drama or english
Here's a concept for you: how about being your own brand ambassador? How about being good at selling yourself? And good at selling what your business has to offer?
How many 18 year olds are good at selling anything, including their services, after years and years of English, Drama and Theatre lessons at school?
Public speaking - you literally have to do a public speaking as part of english GCSE, and there are tonnes of debating societies/competitions and public speaking opportunities at school
How many 18 year olds are competent at public speaking after doing it as part of GCSE English?
The debating societies, competition etc are the sort of additional things that the original poster should be doing. They don't have to do them at school. They could do them outside of school. And would be better off if they did them in an adult environment in front of adult audiences instead of at school.
Social skills - oh, so 15 years of being in classes of 30 people isn't good enough?
Just look at how bad school leavers are at going out, meeting new people and making new friends, including special intimate friends. The ones that aren't shockingly terrible at it are better because of things they've done themselves, including working on their internal world. They're better despite being in classes for 15 years.
The classroom environment encourages cliquey behaviour. And fitting in with the crowd, due to bullying. And not standing out. Secondary schools are an environment that suppresses the development of good social skills for so many of the children there.
Project planning skills. - what does this even mean? you have to do tonnes of projects in school? Gannt charts and all that. - learnt as part of uni/jobs where it is needed, I don't think basic excel is what is missing from schools.
Excel is a terrible tool for project planning. MS Project is an OK tool.
Project planning skills are good for better organising oneself. It's also better if you go into a job with project planning skills already. Instead of having to learn them.
Food shopping and cooking - you can take food tech for GCSE, but almost always taught at home/at uni/online. Who needs to be taught how to shop?
Obesity epidemic. It ties in with nutritional knowledge. And good nutritional habits.
Apart from the health aspects, there's a quality of life thing in eating delicious food. And providing delicious food for others.
Amongst 22 of us in my Halls kitchen in my first year, only 3 of us could cook to basic minimum competency standard. None of us were good cooks.
The key to a great meal is having the right ingredients. Nature is the artist - as Marco White says. Good cooking starts with gathering the ingredients.
Leadership skills - Already been addressed earlier in project planning, you have to do tonnes of projects in and out of school which require leadership
And you think that prepares pupils well for recruiting personnel and supervising them?
The nation's workplaces are full of managers that aren't that good at managing. So that it becomes a remarkable thing to come across one that is a good leader.

Ohh defo especially yr 8s. And what not. But I totally agree with you. Like that's why I said it tells you what your passion might be. Like they do things for a reason. You might not need it yourself personally but others might.
But I gotta applause you! You said what had to be said in a way that they can be silent

I have my Year 8 End Of Year Exams in a few days and I was thinking to myself: why do we learn so many useless things? Like realistically, barely anyone is going to use like 99% of RS and Music, and (this might just be my school) we do so much Latin even though NO ONE SPEAKS IT. Oh, and they expect us to learn French and German as well. Like, why? I understand French because people around the world do speak it, but German? Most Germans speak English better than an English person would ever speak German.
It might just be my school (which is a really academic-focused traditional school) or it might just be me, but I don't understand why we need to learn all of this when realistically we would be better off learning actually useful things (ahem law, taxes, first aid, etc.)

So instead of these, what do you propose? starting a business?
I understand that some of these basics should be taught, but this takes maximum a few weeks/months.
What do you propose students do for the other 5 years of their secondary school education?

In the UK I propose that you go to school. Because it's a legal requirement. And pragmatically it makes sense to go to school. To not bunk off. To get the most out of it that you can.
In parallel with that it makes a lot of sense to put focus into the sort of stuff mentioned in the original post and in my first post in this thread.
This is one of those areas where what makes most sense is very very rarely applied.