According to an op-ed by Fareed Zakaria in the Washington Post, if Americans are united in any conviction these days, it is that we urgently need to shift the country's education toward the teaching of specific, technical skills, expand STEM courses (science, technology, engineering and math) and deemphasize the humanities. "It is the only way, we are told, to ensure that Americans survive in an age defined by technology and shaped by global competition. The stakes could not be higher." But according to Zakaria the dismissal of broad-based learning, however, comes from a fundamental misreading of the facts — and puts America on a dangerously narrow path for the future.
Full article is here
Why STEM won't make us successful.
I've always thought it should be STEAM (Arts). When our local school district started a STEM High School I was in the core planning group. I had to push hard for "art stuff" like Art, Music, Poetry.
One of my often used phrases is "It does not make any difference how smart you are if you can't explain your ideas." I'm a big fan of students learning to write (not Powerpoint blurbs or Txt Msg 2 others), so writing courses would be on my list. It helps to read other great writers to get ideas on how to shape your own writing, hence Literature.
I think we should teach METALS - Math, Engineering, Technology, Arts, Literature, Science. (or Language for Literature)