By Dr Patricia
Groves
THE answer is —
both Arts and Science. In the year 2004, the Ministry of Education
phased out the old system of streaming Grade 11 and 12 students in
arts or sciences courses, in favour of a system of core and elective
subjects which include both arts and science courses. This was done
to ensure a more well-rounded education and to allow students more
options in choosing programmes in Higher Education.
Under the old General Education system,
students from the arts stream could not take science programmes at
university, but science students could choose programmes in the
humanities or social sciences. This meant a larger pool of students
for arts programmes and a smaller pool for science programmes. It
was important to change this situation as science is of utmost
importance in our increasingly technological world.
And so, now all students entering
Higher Education have the choice of science or arts programmes; but
just as importantly, students graduating from Post Basic Education
will have a grounding in both arts and sciences. And they will have
had a balanced education because of the core subjects which include
IT, math and science, languages, social and cultural subjects, and
physical education. At the same time, they were able to specialise
by taking more science, or more language studies, or more courses in
social studies and humanities.
Why is it
important to study subjects in both arts and science?
Everyone knows how exciting science can be when it comes
to areas such as space travel, but we tend to forget that, in the
modern world, science applies to virtually all aspects of our daily
environment — from turning off the lights before we go to bed at
night to turning on the hot water to have a shower in the morning.
But the study of science is not only
about absorbing the subject matter. One of the ‘hidden’ benefits of
studying science (both ‘hard’ science and social science) is the
training in logic, critical thinking and problem solving that is
involved in scientific investigation. These are ‘generic’ skills
that stand us in good stead in life, as well as in employment.
Many students dream of being Engineers
or Physicians; but, without a background in science, it is not
possible to pursue Higher Education in these popular and rewarding
fields, or to be technician, or to go into exciting new areas of IT.
In fact, virtually all areas of endeavour in new and emerging fields
such as Biotechnology and Nanotechnology depend not on just one
science, but on the knowledge of different sciences and the
relationship between them.
An understanding of science is
essential for those who choose not to enter careers based on science
and even for those who do not plan to have a career, because
scientific thinking helps in our daily practical activities such as
cooking, or maintaining a car, or managing our personal computers,
as well as in our adjustment to the world around us. Socially and
culturally, we cannot claim to be educated today unless we know
something of Science. But you may say, what about Arts? Why do we
need arts?
About the Arts
From the arts, which encompass important subjects like
history, literature, philosophy, music, art, languages, education
and social science, including economics, political science,
psychology, anthropology and sociology we learn about the human
world around us, the cultural accomplishments of different
civilisations and how to understand the political, social and
economic systems which affect our lives.
The humanities help us to be better as
people and as citizens, while philosophy and the social sciences
help us to think critically and to understand the social realm and
how to behave responsibly within it. We are able to think more
rationally, make more informed decisions and to be more articulate
in conversation.
If you decide to become a scientist or
engineer, you still have the option in college or university of
taking arts courses as electives; and this it is a good idea to do
so as it will broaden your perspective on life. The same is true of
those who decide to specialise in the humanities, as they can take
electives in the social sciences, and some areas of IT, although
prerequisites are necessary for university level courses in the
‘hard’ sciences.
In order to be a thoughtful and humane
person with a well-trained and flexible mind, whether you end up
specialising in a scientific field or the arts, it is best to keep
one foot; or at least a toe, in the other camp through electives and
leisure reading. In days of old, Islamic scholars mastered many
different fields — from history, law and medicine and religious
studies to astronomy. Although today there is much vaster body of
knowledge to master in any given field; and students must specialise,
the basic principle of not having too narrow an education applies.
Thinking Ahead
No-one can miss the fact that Oman is changing and
developing rapidly as is of course the outer world. The jobs we
aspire to today, may not be the ones we want or need in the future;
and so it is important to take advantage of opportunities such as
electives in broadening our education. This can help set the stage
for lifelong learning which you will find indispensable as you
advance into the coming decades of the 21st Century.
