So why do they have to take the humanities classes? Because they're considered to be an essential part of what it means to be "educated."
Do all colleges and universities require everyone to take English? (I don't think so, though I'm not sure. It was required at my small liberal arts college, I think. I was an English major, though, so I wasn't paying attention to this.)
Anyway, I disagree that English/writing classes (I suspect what's really required are classes with a substantial writing component, just as schools also have "quantitative" requirements) are required because of some concept of what it means to be educated. I think they're required because we want to people to be able to communicate in written English.
Now, I've never taken calculus, as previously established. Perhaps it would alter my life view in some way. But then, would it be more important than taking statistics? (I also haven't taken that--and I really wish I had!) Or economics? (I actually did take this, but it certainly isn't required anywhere that I know of.) Or world history 101? (Also not required most places.) Or, heck, basic biology? I could think of a decent list of courses that arguably should be required for a student to be "well educated," but that's not the way it works nowadays. I myself wish I'd taken more of these broad, basic survey courses when I was in school, but you can't talk sense to a 19yo.
