SEL vs. STEM: Are We Sacrificing Emotional Intelligence on the Altar of Robotics Labs?

 

By Janet Ebiniyi 

As educational philosopher Nel Noddings advises, "When we neglect the ethics of care, we can end up making intelligent people who are not humane."

Most schools these days are spending more dollars on activities such as coding class, robots, and high-technology tools. That's terrific, learning how to create and work with technology is a great thing. But along with the rise of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), arts, music, and school counselors are giving way. And here’s the thing: we are not just students; we're also humans, who feel, who have friends and who have issues. 

Here comes social‑emotional learning (SEL). SEL has students learn about managing stress, talking about emotions, problem-solving with others, and being able to view matters from other people's standpoints. Research shows that students who learn SEL skills do better in school and life. As Harvard researcher Stephanie Jones explains, "Strong social‑emotional skills are the hidden drivers of academic success." Even companies say they want to hire people who get along with others, not simply people who know how to code. LinkedIn's 2024 Global Talent report states, "Ninety‑two percent of employers rate soft skills equal to or more important than technical ability."

A few schools started incorporating both. In one class, students code robots to help the elderly and then write about how their project makes a difference in an individual's life. Others start class by taking a quick check-in: "How are you feeling today?" It might look small, but it makes Individual feel heard and at the same time get to learn about STEM, too.

As Columbia University's Benefit‑Cost Studies Centre found, "Every dollar spent on SEL yields eleven in long‑term gains.” But not everyone thinks so. Some think SEL takes up too much time. Some are afraid it opens up problems that should remain at home."

So this is the real question: Should school be all about work and grades or make us good, caring people too? Because at the end of the day, what's the point of being clever robots if we lose the ability to be kind to each other?