The State of the Situation, Part 2/2

The liberal arts diagram

    All around the world, a new style of higher education is taking hold.  This style, liberal arts, is a type of education that centers around creating a well rounded individual, rather than focusing solely on particular and specialized fields of study.  Students that are taught this way tend to have more cultural awareness, look at problems in unique and varied ways, and have a better understanding of ethics.  Robert Harris writes in his article "On the Purpose of a Liberal Arts Education" found here that "The diverse body of knowledge you will gain from a liberal arts education, together with the tools of examination and analysis that you will learn to use, will enable you to develop your own opinions, attitudes, values, and beliefs, based not upon the authority of parents, peers, or professors, and not upon ignorance, whim, or prejudice, but upon your own worthy apprehension, examination, and evaluation of argument and evidence."  The benefits of this style of learning are clear, and as a result, it is becoming a vital aspect to universities around the world.

     Liberal Education is an important aspect of many universities in the United States, but also is found around the world, a shining symbol of the improvement of education around the globe.  For example, Ashesi University in Ghana is a liberal arts college which focuses on the improvement of the self, as well as education, which creates a better learning environment and gives a good education.

In the next section of this feature, we will look at possible solutions to the problems with education.