The Open Approach to Education: Benefits and Drawbacks

The open approach to education is quite familiar. It believes that education isn't just about learning facts but about training our minds to think, reason, and use that training in different areas. Some say one subject is as good as another, and students should follow their interests. Whether you study earth science or languages, the idea is that you'll be equally prepared for your future.

But this theory can be taken too far. Some subjects aren't great for training our minds. Take economics, for example. It's filled with complex and conflicting theories, not proven as a science, often based on questionable assumptions. Philosophy, when separated from religion and real-world knowledge, might leave you feeling empty.

Then there are subjects that are overly specific, not clearly related to everyday life. And there's another group of subjects, like the study of English literature, that can be challenging for their own reasons.

Another mistake in open education is letting students choose whatever interests them the most when they go to university. While this works for some, most students don't have strong preferences. We're naturally a bit lazy, so we stick to what we're good at. But true education means exploring topics even if they don't immediately interest us.

For those interested in modern languages, history, or writing, this 'study what you like' idea can be a problem. Without a foundation in Latin and Greek, they might miss out on broader knowledge. Not everyone is a genius at learning these languages, but they can open doors to other subjects.