We have to agree with Alfie Kohn—again. In today’s Washington Post’s “Answer Sheet,” Kohn comments on education’s current obsession (witness its prominence in Obama’s proposed education budget) with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education:
“Thought experiment: Try to imagine this, or any other, president giving a speech that calls for a major new commitment to the teaching of literature, backed by generous funding (even during a period of draconian budget cuts). …
“Yeah. Right.”
With that bit of sarcasm, he discusses why STEM subjects attract so much more money and attention than the other subjects. Society—read public officials and corporate executives—values STEM more than the other subjects, says Kohn, for reasons ranging from our obsession with the hard objectivity of numbers, with economic competition, with money.
And he says, “The real question we should be asking when we hear yet another speech arguing, explicitly or implicitly, for the unique importance of STEM disciplines is What does this say about the speakers—or our society’s—beliefs about the point of education itself?”
He quotes Berkeley linguist Robin Lakoff “who called on us to recognize education’s ‘less practical (but equally vital) functions.’ … [E]ducation is invaluable not only in its ability to help people and societies get ahead, but equally in helping them develop the perspectives that make them fully human.’”
To put a Carol Jago spin on the issue: Do we want Deltas (de-emotionalized beings from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World) or human beings, prepared heart and mind “for whatever the future may hold”?
Well, when you put it that way … .
Stephanie Porowski
As a mathematician, I take great offense at the implication that the STEM fields are dehumanizing. I am exasperated with certain scholars in the humanities who are not content to defend the importance of their own disciplines, but feel the need to disparage other disciplines.
In fact, mathematics is a humanistic activity, and it is not primarily driven by practical concerns. Many of the most celebrated mathematical achievements have no known practical application
Thanks David. Science operates the same way. The innate human characteristic of curiosity is what drives the amazing acquisition of knowledge regarding the natural world. Yes, we should be able to communicate well, read and understand. However, the people above assume these should be separate, oppositional themes in education. Furthest from the truth, since children should have opportunity to learn in a variety of contexts, incorporating high level thinking in both STEM education and liberal arts education, and the integration of aspects of all contents. Who thought that art and science can work together, and communication skills can also be developed in math and science? The kids are not scared to use all of the ideas at the same time. So why are adults? And why the rift? Must be money…
It seems to me that the humanities are almost extinct in many k-12 settings. Literature has been replaced by “literacy”. And history is often jettisoned to make way for more “literacy” and math training, thanks to NCLB’s emphasis on these areas. In my California public middle school, only a handful of the 30 teachers seem to value literature or history. They’ve bought the dogma that skills –in reading, writing, math and thinking in general –is what it’s all about. There’s no value in reading great books or learning the story of humans except insofar as these boost kids’ ability to read software manuals and develop business plans. I think about Huxley’s prescience a lot as I watch my students and colleagues fiendishly manipulate their little Apple toys. Who even gives lip service to the liberal arts anymore? In lieu of the humanities we have propagandistic “character education” lessons that give a shallow and warped idea of what it means to be human in this world. I do fear that we stand to lose our humanity if we fail to cultivate it.
[...] on nonexistent in President Obama’s new budget plan for the Department of Education. Instead, STEM education is its top priority. Science, technology, engineering and math training is the focus. In [...]