Should all students be required to take humanities classes?

You decide!

Puzzle Games

Background

As demand increases for jobs in science and technology, many wonder whether every student should be required to take classes in subjects like English, social studies, and the arts. Aren’t these classes only useful for a small group of cultural elites who will attend four-year colleges? Shouldn’t students be allowed to focus on classes that will be more directly useful for their future careers?

Discussion Questions

1. The PRO side argues that we need humanities courses to have a well-functioning society. How would it be possible to test whether this claim is true?

2. The CON side argues that grading in humanities courses is likely to be subjective. How true is this, based on your experience?

3. Think about a humanities course that you were required to take. How did your opinion of this experience change over time as you got older?

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