A Well-Rounded Education

As many of you know, anyone between the ages of six and sixteen is required by law to have some form of schooling. Whether you are enrolled in a public school, private school, boarding school, or home-schooled, you (ideally) receive a quality education.

A quality education creates a person who:

a.       Is curious about the world around them

b.      Is forever learning

c.       Has a wide and deep knowledge about many, varied subjects

d.      Can use this knowledge acquired to support and better themselves during their lifetime

The question is, are American schools today providing the kind of education students need to compete in this global market? 

There are many factors that go into this answer: Different schools will have different requirements for graduation, different courses may be available in some schools and not in others, and of course the best school won’t make a difference to a student who isn’t motivated to learn and there is little that can be done to change this type of student’s attitude. There are certain subjects, according to Castiglione’s The Courtier, that are essential for a well-rounded, educated person.

Some qualities that are essential to have are:

-          Eloquent, yet understandable public speaking and address

-          Studied in the Classics (Greek and Roman literature) and  humanities (reading and writing)

-          Experience with the fine arts (musical instruments, dance, and visual arts)

-          Athletic ability/ physical fitness

All of these qualities are goals of standard curriculums today. However with budget cuts affecting our schools, music and art are often the first to go, after all, who needs art and music???

As Queen of the world, if I were to ever hold such a title, I would ensure that music and art are never lost to a humanity that is obsessed with doing too many things in too little time with no appreciation of life and all of its abundance. We as a culture need art and music in society.  Without the freedom to express ourselves, we lose a part of our humanity. We need to be able to be creative and expressive, and that’s a lot easier done through art and music than math itself.  Music teaches math: every note has a value, and their sums need to be correct for the music to sound good.  Music also teaches students to listen and to be sensitive to how the music sounds, to make adjustments to blend with the group, and to appreciate how the music affects the listener. Music can communicate without words. There are many languages in the world, but only music can be understood by everyone.  

Math, science, and reading are very important topics in education; however music and art are just as important. Take away these, and students will know how to solve a math problem and read a novel, however they will be like robots, lacking creativity and expression. Teach a child to solve a problem, and they will do just that, but nothing more. Teach a child to create and they will never run out of things to do.