Comments about ‘Students need a liberal education’

Benson and Cook are correct that modern students are woefully unprepared to enter the workforce upon graduation. However, they have missed the true cause of this phenomenon. The problem is not the classes that are being taught--it is the manner in which they are being taught that is the problem.

Modern education has fallen victim to notions of so-called political correctness. These notions hold that in order to make sure that no student feels uncomfortable or stressed, the entire curriculum has been dumbed down to level of the lowest common denominator. In a misguided effort to make sure that all students are on the same level, expectations for all students have been reduced to the lowest level.

Employers want and expect their employees to be smarter and to work harder than anyone else. The education system must return to preparing students for this expectation by expecting excellence in academic achievement. Until this happens, the type of classes which are taught will be completely irrelevant.

This opinion piece makes excellent points. If only the 'educators' today didn't read "Liberal Education" as spewing political left wing liberal doctrine. Liberal education in the view of this piece, great, liberal education in this context does not mean forcing students to recite the Democrat dogma in order to pass a class. Keep politics out of the classroom, except in political science classes.

Some time ago in a parent teacher conference, the teacher showed us a paper written by our 6th grade son of an adventure he had had. The teacher praised him greatly for his thoughts and ideas and ignored the bad spelling, improper punctuation and incomplete sentences. When I questioned her about that she explained that it was more important to develop the mind than the fingers.

Recently I received a letter from a 15 year old grandson, it appeared to have been written by a 4 year old.

I agree with the idea of a liberal education, but I would like to see more emphasis on the skills of learning and use of the tools.

It’s like teaching someone how to read a map, and then handing him the keys to a car that he doesn’t know how to drive.

"Liberal" education?
Doesn't that mean worshipping Satan?
LOL!

Richard, who do you think is teaching your kids in Utah?

The LDS Republican you sit next to in church.

Don't believe the hype.

I wonder if a part of the problem is the pervasive practice, at all levels of education, of administering "multiple choice" question tests.

I was asked to write essays, even (at a low level) in grade school, and to discuss issues. Such tests of ability did not present you with much chance of a lucky guess or a timely reminder of what you had not completely memorised.

What it did do was to cause you to think clearly and logically and to express yourself both verbally and in writing in an understandable manner. Every test becomes an exercise in the basics of thinking, writing, spelling, grammar and lucid expression. We were marked down for misspellings and equivocal or otherwise "fuzzy" language, all of which cause confusion in comprehension and logical thought.

If all a testing student has to do is to fill in little circles no wonder they do not know how to express themselves well either verbally or in writing. At High School level, and even more so at university level, we were taught to argue our views closely and to take all the main factors into account. Then we had to organize it all in an understandable essay.

Uncle Bob: I have had the same experience with my granddaughter who is a 4.0 student. Without the ability to communicate in concise and correct methods, how are they going to achieve? Send out business letter like the grunting text messages out there among the young? The students are capable of it, the teachers are lazy. They are the one who don't want to give a rigorous education. Good enough must be their motto.

On the other hand, my daughter who went to a private catholic school has a rigorous and worthwhile primary education. I also saw her blossom intellectually in a "liberal" college. Because of her rigourous primary education, she will not take the usual decade to gain common sense after graduation.

My kids did OK in school, and they don't spout Demo dogma. Contrary to my hopes, they're all Republicans! Where did I go wrong?

Mendicant is on the right track. Students are changing their behavior as a result of the drill-and-test-to-death practices encouraged by the pressure of NCLB annual yearly progress. They are afraid to take a risk, to write something that others may scoff at, to stand in front of their peers and say something of their own thoughts. They are learning that there must be only one right answer because that's the way it will be on the test.

I disagree with Leopard that teachers are lazy. Rather, I will say that it takes at least 1/2 hour to mark up a paper with many errors in convention ( punctuation, spelling, etc.) In an eight hour work day, 1hr 45 min might be available to correct 200 papers.

I'm all for more rigor. How about smaller class sizes to make it more possible?

@metisophia: Maybe teachers will have to do what many others in the workforce do, spend many unpaid overtime hours to achieve an acceptable outcome.

metisophia - isn't NCLB all just to gain federal money for education? So what if we told the Dept of Education, thanks but no thanks? Then wouldn't our teachers be able to teach they way they claim they can? Do federal education dollars make our students more successful? Do federal education dollars make our teachers teach better? Do federal education dollars improve state test scores? Do federal education dollars increase our graduation rates? If the answers are yes, then I guess we need to put up with NCLB/ESEA.

Please!!!

For the love of heaven.
Don't EVER say the "L" word around here.

People have a different definition for it in these parts. And merely whispering it, throws them into an uncontrollable psychotic hysteria.

They don't realize the real meaning is a good thing.

Trust me, I'm speaking from experience...

That's an awful lot of the use of the word "liberal".

This editorial makes it quite clear the left is all about social enginering and indoctrination, and less about academic execellance,

even with their lip service to it.

what excellance is theer when you are giving everyone awards, rewards, high and passing grades?

ackknowledging failures, and weaknesses is part of growth,

and wasting money and time on NON academic things in education is much of reason we have all problems we have today in education.


It's quite obvious that those involved in education are so close to the trees that they can not see the forest.

@Leopard: We already do.
@Utah Dem: If Utah would actually put up enough money to really educate her children, I would love to get the feds out of our hair.

And, yes, it would be nice if the feds didn't take so much away from us in the first place so that we had it to spend. Love to get rid of the middle man.

the truth | 9:02 p.m. July 22, 2010

That's an awful lot of the use of the word "liberal"....


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You're Honor, Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury.

I rest my case.

In the old days, higher education meant going to a liberal arts college for your education and then to graduate school for your professional training (medicine, law, engineering, etc). Few people today can afford that approach, especially since that over the last two decades the cost of higher education has increased far faster than inflation, without any rational explanation or justification for the huge cost increases.