Values, education and the politicians

Associated with a liberal view of education is also the recognition that education cannot be restricted to what is contemporary and utilitarian and such is man’s imperfection that the struggle for beauty and truth is on-going and requires humility and hard work.

Unfortunately, much of the current approach to education is the opposite of a liberal education. Students are taught the way one interprets the world is both subjective and relative and that everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Not only is there no longer such a thing as right or wrong, but also learning is restricted to what is entertaining and relevant. Whereas history once dealt with the grand narrative of the rise of Western civilisation and the struggle for enlightenment and freedom from hunger and oppression, history is now about the local community.

In literature, instead of studying the classics that deal with emotions - such as love, jealousy, anger, ambition and trust - that define what it is to be human, students are fed a diet of poorly written, superficial texts dealing with social problems and self-centred, egotistical characters with little to admire.

Much is being written about the problem of discipline in schools: the fact students no longer respect teachers or parents and many students lack resilience and fail to see any value in what they study.
 
One of the strengths of a liberal education is that it addresses such concerns. Not only are students given a strong ethical base but they also experience the fulfilment that comes from mastering challenging subjects that have something enduring to say about the human condition.