When Did Liberal Arts Schools become Vocational Schools?

The complexity of our present trouble suggests as never before that we need to change our present concept of education. Education is not properly an industry, and its proper use is not to serve industries, either by job-training or by industry-subsidized research. Its proper use is to enable citizens to live lives that are economically, politically, socially, and culturally responsible. This cannot be done by gathering or “accessing” what we now call “information” — which is to say facts without context and therefore without priority. A proper education enables young people to put their lives in order, which means knowing what things are more important than other things; it means putting first things first.
Wendell Berry from Thoughts In The Presence of Fear from Citizenship Papers

I enjoy reading. I do it far to little and all to often I only read books that validate my own opinions. Being a normal man I choose to surround myself with things (and ideas) that make my life comfortable.
Recently I picked up a Wendell Berry book to expose myself to thoughts that resemble mine, but not completely and sometimes not at all. As I was reading the second essay in the collection titled Thoughts In The Presence of Fear I came across a statement that I wholeheartedly agree with. It is reproduced above.
As an undergraduate at Austin Peay State University my opinions began to change about the nature of education. Growing up with the persistant question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” led me (and, I suspect, countless others) to view education solely as a stepping stone to get one to the next level. Elementary school led to Junior High, Junior High to High School, and High School to University. The point of achieving each milestone was to move to the next level. At APSU I opted to major in Accounting. That lasted one year. I switched over to Mathematics Education and I began my studies wholeheartedly in abstract mathematics.
It took several semestes but I began to learn for sole purpose of learning. This came about because I was learning things I would never teach to a high school student. My education was completely unpractical. My problem was I had no idea what an education being practical meant. What is the nature of education? Is it solely to prepare me to do a job or is it to make me a better citizen. Is it to make me a better math teacher or a better man?
This is the nature of Berry’s concern with our present state of education. No where in my proper education did I learn the necessity to be environmentally responsible. In fact, I was taught the opposite. I was taught about trees but not the need to save them. I learned about water but not that it can be poisoned beyond repair. The Industrial Revolution has turned God’s good (but scarred) creation into the tool to promote the interests of corporations. My education wanted (and for all purposes succeeded) to turn me into a low level burecrat in the center of the Industrial Revolution’s Government.
Is this a natural conclustion to capitalism?
Are we too far along a road to destruction that we can not turn off and begin to repair this Earth?
All too often education is hailed as the savior of our kids. In it’s present form it cannot be, but with a renewed focus on what truly is important it can be. Our communities, both local and worldwide, can be saved.

~ by 'rob' on October 7, 2006.