“Agriculture is that which is so universally understood among them that no person, either man or woman, is ignorant of it; they are instructed in it from their childhood, partly by what they learn at school, and partly by practice, they being led out often into the fields about the town, where they not only see others at work but are likewise exercised in it themselves.  Besides agriculture, which is so common to them all, every man has some peculiar trade to which he applies himself; such as the manufacture of wool or flax, masonry, smith’s work, or carpenter’s work; for there is no sort of trade that is in great esteem among them.”

Living in New York City, it is probably safe to assume that an agronomic lifestyle is simply a foreign concept to the extent where we can only brag expertise in it by saying “I have read about this.”  However, despite the lack of practical experience in reaping what you sew, I can’t help but wonder whether the idea of having a citizen universally disciplined in the art of tilling a living is such a bad idea. After all, who wouldn’t want sustainable growth as the crux of proper economic development?

Sustainable growth is undoubtedly a contemporary issue that can be found in endless debates that concern both the domestic and international realm. But my primary concern is not to repeat the controversial issues of green growth (whatever that means) and how OECD states need to pool its resources to save our dying world, but rather to reflect upon the paradigm of our educational system that persistently emphasizes the need to specialize and run right into the rat race without giving any thought to its effect on the goal for a self-sufficient yet satisfactory career. According to Hythloday, a peculiar trade is definitely not something to be frowned upon, and in fact almost inevitable seeing how sophisticated our own economic system is becoming. But what should be the common core curriculum? Should it be a basic yet watered down literature course shoved down the throats of the Freshmen body, or something more?

J.Chung