The child graduated from junior high school and was not admitted to the ideal high school. His parents suggested that he go to the provincial capital to study nursing in a secondary specialized school. Without raising any objection, he followed his parents to report to the school in the provincial capital. Until the money was paid, his father found that the child seemed reluctant to learn nursing, so he called me and asked my opinion. I talked with my child on the phone for a while and learned that the child is not really willing to learn nursing so early, even though his mother said, "Even if you go to high school, you still have to choose nursing as your major when you enter college."

My advice to him is: I am still young and there are still many opportunities. I can choose to repeat one year, take an examination of a high school, and learn enough basic knowledge to enrich my cognition. If you like medicine, you can also apply for medical school when you enter the university. This process is reversible, that is, you can choose medicine or nursing after you go to high school. On the other hand, you can't go to high school after secondary school. Many interesting high school subjects, such as geometry, algebra, chemistry, physics, history and other subjects that can broaden your horizons, have little chance to learn. If you learn the basic knowledge of senior high school, your cognitive boundary and thinking mode will be very different in the future, which will be helpful for learning any major and have a wider choice. Taking the college entrance examination means more choices.

If children don't go to high school, they will lose an opportunity to receive liberal arts education. At this point, some people may have to put forward different opinions. They will say, "High school education is obviously an exam-oriented education in Wenshan Huihai. How can it be called generalist education? "

High school is indeed exam-oriented education, but because of the diversity of its subjects, although it is aimed at taking exams, it also invisibly allows children to learn many subjects and broaden their horizons. British thinker John Mill summed up liberal arts education as follows:

The role of high school is to let children "know a little about everything". When a child is admitted to a university, he can "know more about one thing". If there is no high school training, children will miss the great opportunity of "knowing a little about everything" if they are directly trained in professional subjects. Someone concluded that high school students can do anything:

It's a pity to miss this "peak experience". Today, I will not only talk about the importance of high school, but also emphasize the importance of liberal arts education.

Liberal education is also called general education or quality education. The Latin meaning of "liberal arts" is "suitable for free people", and in ancient Greece it refers to social and political elites. Ancient Greece advocated free education, aiming at cultivating people with extensive knowledge and elegant temperament, freeing students from vulgarity and awakening Excellence. The goal of liberal arts education is not to become a soulless expert, but to become a literate person. Through several basic knowledge and skills, we can cultivate an ideal personality with all-round physical and mental development and cultivate a rich and healthy human nature. It is not just to provide students with a vocational training or professional training.

The seven arts of ancient Rome (grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, music, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy) and the six arts of China Confucianism (ritual, music, shooting, imperial, calligraphy, number) are all educational ideals that make human nature perfect. Confucius particularly emphasized that "a gentleman is not a tool", which means that a gentleman should have a heart for the world, and his role should not be limited to one aspect like a tool. As a gentleman, you can't just learn one or two or more skills, you can't just seek to get rich, you must also have the ability to understand and control all kinds of complicated events, and then shoulder the heavy responsibility of self-cultivation, family harmony and governing the country.

Confucius hoped that his disciples would aim high, and even if they could not reach it, they might get moderate results. If you set low goals from the beginning, you can imagine the benefits. There is an old saying: "find and get it;" Seek it and get it; If you ask for it, you will lose something. "

According to statistics, in the United States, graduates from engineering colleges, rather than graduates from top universities such as Harvard or Princeton, have higher incomes when they first start working, and the income gap is often large. The liberal arts education received by famous schools such as Harvard does not directly teach job skills. However, if we compare their income after 10 years, we will find that those who have a good humanities education background in famous universities come from behind. Not only the income has been greatly improved, but also the social status has been improved faster. The income of graduates from those engineering colleges has not changed much.

Professional education provides specific skills and can quickly solve life problems; Liberal arts education can also enhance knowledge, expand the pattern and provide strong stamina for sustainable development. Liberal arts education is a long-term thing, so it is more important and cannot be ignored.