STEM aside, liberal arts play a critical role in our society
Upon recently reading Austin Bukenya’s play, A Hole in the Sky, I felt some ecstasy as this paperback deeply pricked my inner soul.
Its lead character, Tajeer, a foreign investor, was doing everything within his command to forcefully invest in real estate on our motherland.
Some of his actions, like deforestation, severely led to environmental degradation as most of the water catchment areas were destroyed, causing severe drought in the region.
Dear reader, why would I even bother to discuss this play? Is it of any significance to my treatise?
Yes. The liberal arts – languages, religion and philosophy are a special kind of discipline. They aptly speak to our inner souls.
A Hole in the Sky perfectly fits into our current situation where the rains failed to pour in the last two to three months partially because mankind has continued to be unforgiving to the environment.
Just like the cruelty with Mother Nature, we've been at a crossroads whether to educate our sons and daughters on STEM (sciences, technology, engineering and math) for the job market or to teach them the liberal arts which fundamentally prepare them for real life.
Evan Mwangi sometime back captured this misperception on these pages in an article titled: ‘Why Kenyan art is recognised more abroad than at home’.
In his piece he said; “…there is no better way of acquiring an independent mind than taking courses in literature.”
Suggestions from the government to admit more students into science-based courses and not the humanities have continued to have dire consequences on the low thirst for art-based courses.
Past proposals from the Ministry of Education to pay more to STEM lecturers than their liberal arts counterparts are heartrending, to say the least.
More funding
According to most universities, science-based programmes attract more funding than the arts, thus the need for more attractive remuneration for its tutors.
Methinks that while more students should be encouraged to join science-based courses, it is unfortunate that we are deeming humanities to be an 'inferior' subject.
In my school, religious studies are popular with our girls as they instil moral values.
And as a liberal arts tutor, I always perceive humanities subjects to be an insight into understanding on moral, ethical and political forces.
Sciences deal with facts while the humanities deal with a value system which in essence, enhances the civility of society – a core component of our human existence.
Just imagine if all people were either medics or engineers and no lawyers, linguists or priests. Society would undeniably operate like a robot with no feeling for mankind. No wonder during the recent 'maandamano', the clergy and the political class - liberals - were the only groups that could save the situation.
It is a sorry state today to witness fresh graduates without basic knowledge of history, religion and a nation’s basic philosophy.
It is even more appalling that some brag about not being interested in knowing the nation’s philosophy as long as they secure employment in the cutthroat job market.
No wonder most universities have utterly lost the purpose of teaching humanities and this has seen the number of students majoring in the liberal arts plummet with every sunrise.
Unless this pathetic situation of STEM versus liberal arts is cross-examined, the situation may worsen in the foreseeable future. BY DAILY NATION
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