the value of a liberal education

The Value of Liberal Education

Liberal education advocates the study of a broad area of knowledge that can be applied in a wide spectrum of industries and professions . Liberal education is in direct contrast to specialized courses that aims to train the individual specifically for a certain type of job or vocation .Liberal education is better because the training that it provides allows individuals to be more flexible in their search for a profession Specialized education can be limiting , especially if you have varied interests and talents

While this is in favor

of liberal education , it does not mean to dismiss the merits of specialized training , which in some cases is absolutely necessary . This contends that liberal education cannot be removed from the curriculum of higher education because the knowledge that liberal arts provides finds value in all industries and professions

Michael Useem wrote that in the 70 's and 80 's , liberal education was badly assaulted by the rise of interest in practical education specializing in skills training and business . Liberal Arts enrollees dropped by fifty percent during this time , and have not fully recovered since then (3 ) Educational institutions became training grounds for practical skills rather than teaching fundamental concepts across all professions

This trend towards specialization created a skill shortage because people were becoming highly specialized , able only to function in one aspect or profession and individuals can only work in areas where they received education and training . They cannot function anywhere else Alarmed by this situation , private and public institutions then sought to fix the problem by initiating a program that emphasizes the importance of a vigorous liberal arts program in all undergraduate programs (Useem 12 ) This initiative resulted in the institution of a policy that required at least two-years of education in the liberal arts of philosophy , history and literature (Mason 2

Moreover , there was a call for the renewal of humanities as a fundamental subject in higher education . According to Useem

Drawing on the findings of special study group on the humanities William J . Bennett , then chairman of the Endowment , called for the restoration of humanities to a central place in the college curriculum The goal , he wrote , is for all students to know a common culture rooted in civilization 's lasting vision , its highest shared ideals and aspirations , and its heritage

Farnham , in his book 's introduction said that liberal education and the perceptions around it have always been dynamic because educational institutions have always been adaptive to the current needs of society According to Farnham , his book , Rethinking Liberal Education , was intended to see how liberal education can continue to serve a democratic society despite the many obstacles in its path . After all , as Farnham maintains , liberal education maintains a central pedestal in the educational pantheon (3

Liberal education is the product of our collective history and traditions . And as such , is subject to constant contradictions and innovations to make itself relevant to the times . According to Gless social , theoretical...