Liberal Education Roots Analysis

The concept of a Liberal Arts degree roots can be traced back to the Martianus Capella in the 5th century C.E. in his description of the “seven liberal arts.” (Nugent) While his work is just a footnote on the history of higher education, The concept of a Liberal Arts education is derived from the Latin phrase; artes liberals, which might be translated to “skills for living fully and freely” (Nugent). This would suggest that a higher education would allow us to have potential for a richer and more fulfilling human experience. However, does it? What is the true value of higher education when you take into consideration increasing constraints on Academic freedom and the resulting student loan debt incurred pursuing a higher education? One option

Identified at vindictive protectiveness the term describes worries over facing charges of insensitivity, aggression, or worse because of what you say or how you act (Haidt, Lukianoff). The result of this is students are not compelled to deal with uncomfortable topics or issues. This truly restricts a student’s learning potential and the system is creating a false bubble of how the real world operates. My personal experiences in this are from this class. Only a few of my classmates are willing to talk about subjects unless called upon. Most just sit by silently and let other speak; it is hard to develop any critical thinking skills when your discussion is limited to a few thoughts. At this point, I question what value students’ gain from this type of classroom

According the New York Federal Reserve there are nearly 37 million student loan borrowers in the United States currently repaying a student loan. The reported average in a recent study indicates the average monthly Student loan payment is $499 for people with a bachelor’s degree and higher for those with Graduate and Professional degrees (Ross). Combine those facts with the growing national student loan debt already over $1 trillion dollars (Wyman); we can see that a higher education is not free. This has a ripple effect on the economy as well with those still paying on student loans less likely to buy a new car or home.

On the other side, those who take part in an apprenticeship program get paid training and education without having incur any tuition debt. In addition, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (2015), 87 percent of apprentices, who completed their training, find jobs with an average starting salary of over $50,000 (6).This means an apprentice’s income is more likely to go directly back into the local economy verses repaying a student loan debt to a financial institution. In theory creating more job opportunities for other in the community in which they work and