Dear Editor,
A country without Arts quickly becomes one without culture, humanity, and moral compass; this should be a thought foremost in the minds of policymakers as they face the slick campaign of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engi-neering, and Mathematics) funding advocates. Lego robot kits are not the answer to a student population that displays a marked lack of innovation; the recent Science Fair, for example, was a hodgepodge display of recycled projects, likely copied from YouTube and delivered verbatim. To improve our STEM we must first plant the seeds of comprehension, reasoning, and context; this can only be done through creative arts, subjects such as reading, writing, and expression via dialogue, acting, and arts and craft should be given priority in primary school as the foundation for whatever path is chosen later in life.
As Sergeant Dion Bascom’s revelations cause a twisted version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth to play on our national stage, context is absent for much of our young population as the themes of power, greed, and ambition are not easily recognized nor the consequences of the indelible stain of murder on the human psyche. Oh, what a time it would be to be a teacher of great literature as lines such as Lady Macbeth’s “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” come to life!, students could be tasked with identifying Macbeth, the all-important Banquo and McDuff should he make an entrance…
Editor, there are organizations dedicated to pushing the STEM agenda, and that is all well and good, but can our young engineers understand Asimov’s three principles of robotics without context? STEM without ARTS is much like a paint-by-numbers book, the result looks good but is hollow and soulless. Out! damned spot! One, two…
Sincerely
Robin Singh