Literacy' and General Education

'Literacy' is originally the ability to read and write, i.e. the competence in manipulating letters (litterae). 'Literacy' has obtained currency and is in use with wider signification than before. 'Literacy' is now employed to mean, various ability and attitude, e.g 'cultural literacy', 'computer literacy', 'information literacy', etc.. Especially 'cultural literacy' is not the competence in accumulating knowledge of various cultures, but the abiliy of critique, including methodology, and is of great importance in university education. In 1997, the Faculty of Humanities (Niigata University) intoroduced the new curriculum of general education (Kyoyo nisyu) into the advanced course. 'Kyoyo nisyu', means a core course for all humanities students, and its aim is to cultivate 'cultural literacy', in other words, the broader perspective of learning and the critical attitude towards his major. A general education course was supposed to be mainly offered for freshmen, but the essential ability of undergraduate students is to acquire 'cultural literacy'. And 'cultural literacy' is not fostered by accumulation of knowledge, but by trans-disciplinary studying. An excessive concentration on his own major can give rise to losing sight of his standpoint. 'Kyoyo nisyu' can provide students its ability