Cultural Literacy: Does Knowledge Need to Be Deep to Be Useful?

A common critique of school is that it leads to shallow memorization of facts. Deep understanding and practical skills are often pushed aside in favor of trivia, quickly forgotten after the final exam.

The most typical reaction, at least from those endorsing the value of education, is to deny the charge. Yes, we all remember dull or seemingly pointless classes. But school provides the necessary foundation for deeper thinking.