159 Liberal Arts Education

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The liberal arts are: literature, history, philosophy & the sciences. In classical antiquity these subjects were “worthy of a free person,” the Latin word liberalis. Liberals participated in public debate, on juries, and military service, as well as art, music & astronomy. America inherited this Old World education tradition and has been mostly successful when focusing on a liberal arts ciricullum for its Primary & Secondary schooling, but we seem to have overplayed that commitment in our colleges, which are churning out more-n-more Liberal Arts graduates prepared for nothing more than waiting tables or selling insurance.</p> <p>More Americans receive a Liberal Arts education now than ever before, with an average growth rate nearing 5% annually. The total number of Liberal Arts degrees awarded a year grew from 100,000 to 350,000 in 25 years, nearly 40% of all associate degrees, but during the same time, the share of professional degrees fell 10%. A liberal education certainly prepares our youth for life but it is only a springboard to more technical & challenging pursuits required by our modern society. We need engineers & scientists, managers & technitions, all building on the foundation of a Liberal Arts education, not pre-empted by one.</p>