We usually think of the solstice as a beginning — summer's here! — but it is viewed in many cultures as a midpoint, or a time to achieve balance. In England, these days are known as "midsummer." East Asian calendars mark the year's two solstices as the middle of seasons. And consider the whole year: Now the sun is at its peak, beginning the ordinal trip to its lowest point, six months from now.
But I'm a person who likes the idea of balance, anyway. I was born under the astrological sign of Libra. One of my role models was a guy whose bedtime message to his little daughter involved a kiss on each cheek as he said, "Symmetry" — left cheek kiss — "balance" — right cheek kiss — "the rule of life."
We're always struggling to find balance in our personal lives, and we know that political progress depends on finding a fair point between competing views — a sort of political solstice. So when we push a policy too much in one direction or another, we need to set things aright, and rebalance.
Last week a new study raised issues that could lead you to question whether our educational priorities are getting out of balance. The report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences comes after years of focus on improving science and math education nationwide. What that focus has caused, the report seemed to suggest, is too little attention to the humanities.
What are the humanities? They're the study of languages, literature, history, film, civics, philosophy, religion and the arts. Along with such social sciences as economics and psychology, understanding the humanities helps us grasp what we and our fellow humans are all about.
It is study in these fields that gives kids perspective and teaches them adaptability, characteristics that are increasingly important in an ever-more complex world. It's education that enlightens, not just trains.
That's not what you have heard education leaders talking about in recent years. We have been warned repeatedly that we're falling behind other nations in so-called STEM fields — science, technology, engineering, mathematics. A leading proponent of that view is Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, who testified about her concerns before a congressional committee in February.
"We must improve mathematics and science education from the very beginning of our children's educational careers," she said. "And if we want to remain competitive, we must sustain our commitment to these students throughout their academic careers."
Only 17 percent of high school seniors, Jackson noted last year, had expressed interest in majoring in STEM fields. Other nations, especially in more controlled economies, prepare kids better for careers in technology.
President Jackson is not wrong to say our STEM education must improve. But the risk of over-reliance on science and technology as the focus of education is that we will create a nation of people who know how to do things but not why, or who consider creative activities a waste of time amid the truly valued pursuit of money.
It's worth noting that China and some European nations are even now working to replicate the American model of broad education, figuring that understanding of the humanities in their emerging workforces can help connect their countries with the global community.
Think about your own workplace: What skills do you value among co-workers? Three out of four employers, according to the academy study, say schools should place more emphasis on skills that humanities teach: critical thinking and complex problem-solving, as well as written and oral communication.
If we fail to give children a full grounding in history, civics and social studies, we have only ourselves to blame if citizens seem disconnected from the democratic process. If we deny them an appreciation of the arts, we diminish their lifelong joy.
American history is littered with foreign policy blunders that might be blamed on cultural ignorance or historical short-sightedness. We need players at all levels — from national policymakers to ordinary citizens — who understand diverse cultures and who value different perspectives. We need better language training and opportunities for study abroad. It's a matter of national security.
But we've been heading in the other direction. Federal funding for international training and education has been cut by 41 percent in four years. Programs in the arts have been sacrificed to school budget cuts. At high school and above, the curriculum is becoming fragmented, often forcing students to choose a study silo that channels them prematurely toward a career.
Worried about jobs and fearful of technological change, we're shortchanging the kind of education that binds us together as a people.
We need to rebalance. It's time for an educational solstice.