Shanor: Don’t Neglect The Humanities

Laramie County School District#1 Chair Sandy Shanlor says that while science and math are obviously important subject areas, it's important to educate students in other areas as well.

She says American society, and especially the media, "goes wild" on certain themes to the point of ignoring other things which may be equally important. She says that has happened with science and technology education, which are in fact important areas.

But she says it's also important that the humanities and social sciences don't get left behind in the rush to embrace technology education. She says history, for example, is important to understanding the modern world and why it is the way it is.

Shanor says the United States has a rich history of a broad educational focus, including the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

She also says that while Americans think of schools in countries such as Japan and China of being hyper-focused on science and math, the fact is schools in those countries are starting to integrate more liberal arts and social science courses into their curriculums because they are realizing the importance of those subject areas.