On transatlantic liners or at some American motels, a traveler’s eyes glaze over as he or she peruses the menu. There’s so much to eat that he’ll be unable to finish it all. Education, which often comes with a hefty price tag, can give one the same sinking sense. From Greek to stenography, from music to economics, it has it all. What are we supposed to do with such a dizzying array of options? Getting the nutrition we need to live a long life and be well-educated requires more than just filling our bellies.
It’s impossible to answer that question without also answering the following: What is education for? There is a good chance that not all students, or even their parents, could come up with a clear and persuasive answer to that question at the drop of a hat. Whether it’s because our parents instilled it in us, because school attendance is ingrained in our culture, because it’s required, or because we believe it’s essential to our future success, there are many reasons to pursue an education. If we put these considerations to the back of our minds, we’ll likely emerge from our meal stuffed, but nutritionally deficient. As a result, let me begin by asking what we should be looking for in educational opportunities. Rather than address this question, I’m going to focus on the most significant aspect of it.
Get your hands on a copy of the U.S. college catalogues. There are classes available in a plethora of topics. Is there a recurring theme among these classes? Is there a common goal among them? I believe that there is a recurring theme and that each course is designed to accomplish the same goal. Everyone strives for excellence, and every course is designed to teach students how to achieve the very best in whatever field they choose to study. All of these courses are designed so that he will know what good English is; all of these courses are designed to teach him agricultural skills; all of these courses are designed to teach him how to cook or sew. The goal of each course, regardless of subject, is to demonstrate what is best in that field. This is the thread that binds all of education together.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a teacher or a student, you should always remember that education is incomplete and unsatisfactory if it doesn’t give you an accurate picture of what it takes to be the best in your field. Without it, we may have learned a few things, but we won’t have received an education.
Human nature’s creative and intellectual faculties give rise to a wide range of educated pursuits, including literature, art, architecture, and music. The sciences and architecture should be added to my life, but it is impossible for anybody but an expert to appraise excellence in these two fields, and many educated individuals lack the close knowledge essential to evaluate work in them. In contrast, every member of the group maintains regular contact with the other four members. His daily life is surrounded by architecture, literature, music, and shape and colour; he can’t help but notice them all. We shouldn’t be able to confuse what is good from what is evil in all of these different mediums, because they can all be just as bad in their own ways.
As seen by the selection of books available in hotel bookstands and the majority of music heard on the radio and in jukeboxes, we may not be as open-minded as we think. Those who argue that music, art, and literature are mere extras should consider the fact that they are among the few things that are truly eternal, and that if a person wishes to be remembered two thousand years from now, the only sure way to do so is to create a great poem or book, a great symphony, an amazing painting, a magnificent sculpture, or a magnificent structure…………………….. Plato and Shakespeare and Michelangelo and Raphael, and Ictinus and Bramante, are only a few examples of long-dead luminaries who are still revered today.