ARE THE PERENNIALIST TEACHERS CONCERNED WITH STUDENTS MASTERY OF FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS?

Yes, Perennialist teachers are very concerned with students' mastery of fundamental skills. However, their focus goes beyond mere technical proficiency. They believe that mastery of fundamental skills (reading, writing, arithmetic, logic, etc.) is crucial as a *foundation* for understanding the great ideas and enduring questions that shape human experience. These skills are seen as tools to access and grapple with the essential knowledge they believe all students should acquire. Therefore, while skill mastery is important, it's viewed as a means to a larger, more philosophically driven end.