Robert P. Erickson: More to life than working

In their May 22 column “The skills schools aren’t teaching but must,” Michael Bloomberg and James Dimon argue that the goal of life is to get a job.

That to stop crime and violence, avoid being ignored, getting left behind, going to prison and to get a chance at a better life lies solely in getting a job. They thus end up downgrading the importance for the lives of our people of the typical high school education’s presentation of other fields.

Getting a job is certainly essential, but so are the other aspects of our lives. We do not live just in our jobs. We must not ignore the other areas of traditional academic tracks in providing the fullness we, as humans, want and need.

The evolution of civilization has significantly consisted of the development of science and math, literature and the arts – Einstein, Shakespeare, Beethoven and Rembrandt.

Bloomberg and Dimon state that “too many students are put on traditional academic tracks that lead to dead ends.” Dead ends? Perhaps they should be emphasizing a balanced curriculum to not only get a job but also to live a full life.

This story was originally published May 28, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Robert P. Erickson: More to life than working."