Thread: What is a liberal education?

So I have a question. Did you take Advanced Placement classes in high school? I took both English classes,U.S. History, Comparative Government, and American Government.

I'm curious, what does this have to do with a "liberal education?"

Originally Posted by pramjockey

I'm curious, what does this have to do with a "liberal education?"

Exactly.

Originally Posted by reino

So I have a question. Did you take Advanced Placement classes in high school? I took both English classes,U.S. History, Comparative Government, and American Government.

Personally, I took AP Economics (Micro/Macro), Chemistry, Physics, Calc BC, Spanish, European History, US History, and English. It's possible that I'm forgetting something - it was almost 10 years ago...

Edit: I should point out that I never actually took the AP Chemistry class, just the AP test.

Originally Posted by W.E.B. Du Bois

Exactly.

I frequently hear pundits talking about "liberal" education and how it's failing our students. I personally have no idea what a liberal education is, so I figured I'd just base it off my own personal experience.

Right wing pundits blame everything they feel is lacking on liberals. It means nothing, they are fools.

Originally Posted by reino

I frequently hear pundits talking about "liberal" education and how it's failing our students. I personally have no idea what a liberal education is, so I figured I'd just base it off my own personal experience.

I don't think that anecdotal stories about AP classes are a good litmus test for the general success of public education in the US. Anyone weighing in here (honors/AP/etc) is likely to have been in a demographic area where the public schools are top notch. A better question would be whether or not these programs were even offered.

Originally Posted by drgoodtrips

I don't think that anecdotal stories about AP classes are a good litmus test for the general success of public education in the US. Anyone weighing in here (honors/AP/etc) is likely to have been in a demographic area where the public schools are top notch. A better question would be whether or not these programs were even offered.

I should think that when anyone refers to a "liberal education" they are referring to a form of post-secondary education, not some high-school daycare system.

Btw, "liberal education" refers to the teaching of the "liberal arts".

Originally Posted by Mad_Michael

I should think that when anyone refers to a "liberal education" they are referring to a form of post-secondary education, not some high-school daycare system.

Btw, "liberal education" refers to the teaching of the "liberal arts".

I'm inclined to agree with the definition, but "AP Tests" are purely a high school institution here. As for the "liberal education" I was under the impression he was referring to "liberal" in the partisan political sense, as in "Damn liberal public school system is makin' our children stupid!"

Originally Posted by drgoodtrips

I don't think that anecdotal stories about AP classes are a good litmus test for the general success of public education in the US. Anyone weighing in here (honors/AP/etc) is likely to have been in a demographic area where the public schools are top notch. A better question would be whether or not these programs were even offered.

There is a "no" option. My schools were definetly not "top notch" but there were a few AP's offered so I took them.