While Westview offers a wide selection of courses that many other high schools do not, such as Intro to Finance and Principles of Engineering, next year, some of the Humanities courses will not be running. This includes AP Art History and Writing Seminar.
These class reductions are just a small part of a larger phenomenon that seems to be signaling the tragic death of the Humanities.
Though the term “Humanities” refers to the study of philosophy, history, linguistics, literature, and visual arts, it encompasses much more than that. It encompasses what humanity has accumulated, learned, found, and studied throughout the years. As Robert Peake, an author and chief technology officer of multiple small startup companies, said, “[H]umanities examines what it means to be alive, and human.” In short, our capacity for creativity, empathy, and emotional intelligence is what separates a human from technology and science.
Recently, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of students enrolling in STEM classes and as STEM majors, whereas the number of students interested in pursuing literature, history, and the arts have drastically dropped.
According to former Harvard President Drew G. Faust, the decline in Humanities majors reflects the pressure that students are feeling to find jobs that make sure their financial investment in education pays off.
Although financial sufficiency is understandably a critical factor, students also need to be aware that the critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills that are nurtured through the Humanities will serve them well in any field.
According to a report commissioned by the University of Oxford, Humanities graduates largely agree that their degree has enabled them to make an essential contribution to addressing the major issues facing humanity. This includes the ability to navigate social media manipulation and misinformation all the while addressing the ethical implications of AI. Much of this can be attributed to simply being literate. However, it seems as though even literacy levels are in danger of declining.
According to the National Literacy Institute, the U.S ranks 36th in literacy as of 2025. On average, 79% of adults nationwide are literate, with 54% of adults having a literacy level below sixth grade. But, being literate is not just necessary for reading books. It is vital for learning how to adapt to the world, especially with the rapid evolutions in politics and technology facing us today.
At an introduction to USC Viterbi School of Engineering, students were warned that technology without the Humanities is worse than no technology at all.
Professor Dan Grimely, Head of Humanities at Oxford University, said that the resilience and adaptability developed during the study of the Humanities is particularly useful during big changes in the labor market—whether that’s triggered by a global financial crisis, changes caused by the rise of automation and AI technologies, or a global pandemic.
In many jobs, if not all, “soft skills”– such as persuasive written and oral communication, creative problem-solving, teamwork, decision-making, self-management, and critical analysis – are consistently sought after. Even Steve Jobs, founder and former CEO of Apple, considers liberal arts an integral part of the technological field.
“[I]t’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough,” Jobs said in a 2010 speech. “It’s technology married with liberal arts, married with Humanities, that yields the results that make our hearts sing.”
While it is great to see Westview’s widening range of STEM classes, it is important that they do not overtake or replace essential Humanities classes that equip students with valuable lifelong skills.
