A recent article written by Fareed Zakaria of the Washington
Post got me to thinking about the current love affair with the STEM initiative.
For the uninitiated, STEM refers to science, technology, engineering and
mathematics. There re those in certain circles that believe that in order for
American students to catch up to their European peers and for the US economy to
prosper in future decades, the educational coursework should focus on the STEM
courses. Theatre Majors- forget about it. Anthropology enthusiasts, - you’re
relegated to museums. What about those college students who graduate with degrees
in “Liberal Studies?” We just might be treading on dangerous ground by
embracing STEM to the exclusion of all other academics.
Back in 1987, University of Virginia English professor Dr.
E.D. Hirsch, Jr. penned a book entitled “ Cultural Literacy.” In it he outlined
a dictionary of over 5000 items that he believed that all students should know.
These included knowledge of art, music, geography and political science as well
as the natural sciences and mathematics. Hirsch and his colleagues went so far
as to publish a series of books for each elementary grade level- What Every
First Grader Should Know, etc. He went on to establish the Core Knowledge
Foundation in in effort to create a national awareness for this broad based
knowledge. Apparently this has either become passé or has fallen on deaf ears.
In his article, Zakaria noted, “ Innovation is not simply a technical matter,
but rather one of understanding how people and societies work, what they need
and want.” Even Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States and a
signer of the Declaration of Independence believed that a liberally educated
population was important for the future success of the United States.
It’s time to put the breaks on STEM and revisit how we
should continue to encourage critical thinking.
c.2015 J. Margolis
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