Too Much Emphasis on STEM?

Emily Eckart (at the link read the whole article):

It is commonly claimed that STEM majors are the “most valuable” — value being defined as immediate job offers and high earnings. Articles promoting STEM have a clear focus: jobs and money. College is increasingly viewed as a form of vocational training, useful only for teaching the quantitative skills that our data-obsessed society demands.

The current shrill insistence that young people study STEM is well-intentioned, but short-sighted. Our data-obsessed society demands that education consist only of measurable skills. It is no surprise that this quantitative mind-set favors math and science, which express themselves in the language of numbers.

But defenders of the humanities have long recognized that the study of history, literature, art and language develop other skills that are critical for students’ success. With their focus on careful reading and analysis of texts, humanities foster clear communication, both in speaking and in writing.

In an increasingly global world, there are many questions that don’t have certain answers, such as what is ethical and what it means to live a good life. In Educational Leadership, David Ferrero summarizes humanities perfectly: They are subjects dedicated to the development of “reflective citizens, wise leaders, and good persons.”…

In over-emphasizing STEM, we run the risk of defunding and eventually losing the fields that make sense of our subjective experiences. We must train scientists and engineers, but we cannot forget to also nurture future poets, artists, actors and musicians. Theirs is the work that speaks of immeasurable truths: that our moral choices signify; that we are greater than our material bodies; that our short lives matter, and our art, and our love.