Cultural Literacy

The view espoused by E. D. Hirsch (available in the UVEI library) that in order for students (especially low income and minority students) to be successful in a knowledge-based society, they need to know a large number of specific facts, ideas, historical people and events—the kinds of things that well-educated people often take for granted that everybody knows. In other words, cultural literacy means being literate in the knowledge of the dominant culture (while being respectful of other world cultures). Cultural Literacy advocates tend to disagree with Progressive Educators about the role of content versus skills in developing lifelong learners.