In India, back when I was in college if you got yourself a non-Science/Math degree your chances for employment were considered very dim. You might mutter to yourself it is the same Science/Math degree that has made you an immigrant in another country! I am not sure if math and science education has the same elevated status back in India today but from what I hear and read job opportunities for the other side are just as plenty.
In the US on the other hand, there was never an over emphasis on science or math education, arts and humanities had equal opportunities in the job market. This was till globalization took over and suddenly everyone is worried about STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering and Mathmatics) education and US kids not being educated enough. Steps are taken to get kids interested in math and science education at an early age.
While Asians here in the US are generally good in math, science and technologies, their inadequacies come through when they have to creatively present something. Their lack of education in the creative arts puts them at a competitive disadvantage. Put more bluntly their presentation and creative skills just doesn't cut it. Like everything there are always exceptions but I am talking about the majority.
The same me that had the tendency to go ballistic if DD comes home with bad grades in Math would just let the same bad grades in Reading/Writing slide. This was till I realized that the key to success lies not only in a good Math and Science education but also being educated in creative writing and expression. These skills are every bit as essential for success.
That said would I pay those exhorbitant fees for my kids to get themselves a nice liberal arts education sheared off any technical education? Probably not.
What do the two tech giants of our times have to say on the matter?
Bill Gates believes college students should be encouraged to enter “well-correlated to areas that actually produce jobs.”
Steve Jobs has this to say “It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough — it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing and nowhere is that more true than in these post-PC devices.”
What do you all think? What type of education is important?
As for the recipes today, I would like to talk about corn bread again because it so versatile and lends itself to a lot of variations. I had some cottage cheese on hand and decided to add that in and they made the muffins moist and creamy.
Corn bread is a go to recipe for breakfast during weekends. Takes less than 15 minutes to put together, baking time not included. The recipe for Sweet or savory is here.
I added the cottage cheese into the batter after the wet and dry ingredients were mixed together.
My husband loves cornbread whereas I am not. I have tried making with the store bought ready made mix. Should try your version someday.
ReplyDelete...I agree to most of what you said. I would decide what my daughter likes and wants to be rather than force upon her an education which will be the most paying job or jobs that are in demand.
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs had the freedom to do what they liked and in their case it was technology that they choose and they were successful because they believed in what they liked.
I believe they would not have been successful if it was forced upon them.
Most Indians/immigrants are not able to creatively present something due to the fact that survival in a hugely populated country like India depends on education that provides high paying jobs and creativity is lost in the process.
Most of us do not have the freedom to choose and pursue our passions. That being said I want her to be successful in wants she chooses be it art or science.
The education that interests you and then sustains the interest is the one you should go for. As parents we can introduce our children to the various opportunities and try to increase their interest in science and maths but can we really force them to take it up ? Will that help in the long run ?
ReplyDeleteI mean eventually there will be more people doing the routine science jobs but there won't be that much innovation.
Having said that whenever BS insists on being an artist, I try to gently nudge her and talk about being an architect. Old habits die hard.
Corn bread looks absolutely spongy and super soft..
ReplyDeleteI suspect most people think they are better at English just because they are better in their own grades in English than their own grades in Math. The question is where they stand in their grades for English compared to the rest of the world. It is finding the level of the rest of the world that is hard.
ReplyDeleteINdo...its a surprise that you mentioned about the (anti- corruption )makkal sakthi party. I personally know M. Vijay Anand and yeah it is definitely the need of the hour in our country - hoping to make small changes1
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