Liberal arts vital

Tue., Feb. 2, 2016

A Jan. 19 letter suggested that college students should be allowed to pass opt-out exams for some required classes in order to cut the time and expense of college. For things you already know, certainly.

But what disturbed me was the writer’s additional comment that courses in philosophy and sociology were a waste of time for him because they were things he never used, not that he already had a good background in them.

If all he wanted was to be trained, then he has a point. But if he wanted to be educated, the liberal arts are a vital part of the mix. Education is about the whole person, not just a particular skill set.

Stefanie Pettit

Spokane

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