The Development of Criteria for Music in General Education At the University Level

Abstract

The expression "general education" has come into use during the last score of years and largely supersedes the expression "liberal education." The latter, meaning literally an education to "set one free," can be interpreted in a broad sense as an education which is directed toward preparing individuals to have knowledge, understanding, and competence to deal independently and cooperatively with important social, political, and personal problems. However, there is some feeling that the educational program of many liberal education institutions has become so specialized and narrow in scope that the term "liberal" should no longer be used, for fear that it will be construed to refer to the educational programs of these schools, rather than to the original purpose of the expression.

The McGrath Report states: The original purposes of liberal education in preparing men and women for a free life which they would share with all their countrymen in a free society has been overshadowed by specialized vocational training. Liberal arts colleges have been so preoccupied with the training of psychologists, chemists, and musicians, that they have neglected the education of the free man.

It is for the foregoing reason that "general" often is substituted for "liberal," although the choice may not be a happy one, since "general" may be interpreted in different ways; in addition, some authors do not use these two words synonymously. Webster offers the following among his definitions of the word "general": "Of or pertaining to the whole of a body, society, organization or the like"; "Not restrained or limited to a precise import or application; not specific; not entering into details or minutiae"; "Concerned or dealing with universal rather than particular aspects"; "Pertaining to, affecting, or applicable to, many, or the greatest number of, persons, cases, or occasions"; "Not precise or definite; approximate."

The point must be mentioned that in the present study the expression "general education" is used only in connection with higher education unless otherwise indicated. Primary and secondary education are, of course, general, and the expressions "life adjustment" and "common learnings" have been popular in describing general education at these levels.