[1.The Necessity of a Broad Education]
According to a survey,
which was based on the responses of over 188,000 students,
today's traditional-age college freshmen
are "more materialistic and less altruistic"
than at any time in the 17 years of the poll.
Not surprising in these hard times,
the student's major objective "is to be financially well off.
Less important than ever is developing a meaningful philosophy of life."
It follows then
that today the most popular course is not literature or history
but accounting.
Interest in teaching,
social service and the "altruistic" fields is at a low.
On the other hand,
enrollment in business programs,
engineering and computer science is way up.
That's no surprise either.
A friend of mine (a sales representative for a chemical company)
was making twice the salary of her college instructors
her first year on the job
---even before she completed her two-year associate degree.
While it's true that we all need a career,
it is equally true
that our civilization has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge
in fields far removed from our own
and that we are better
for our understanding of these other contributions
---be they scientific or artistic.
It is equally true that,
in studying the diverse wisdom of others,
we learn how to think.
More important, perhaps,
education teaches us to see the connections between things,
as well as to see beyond our immediate needs.
Weekly we read of unions who went on strike for higher wages,
only to drive their employer out of business.
No company; no job.
How shortsighted in the long run!
But the most important argument for a broad education
is that in studying the accumulated wisdom of the ages,
we improve our moral sense.
I saw a cartoon recently
which shows a group of businessmen looking puzzled
as they sit around a conference table;
one of them is talking on the intercom:
"Miss Baxter," he says,"could you please send in someone
who can distinguish right from wrong?"
From the long-term point of view,
that's what education really ought to be about.