Modern Orthodoxy advocates learning secular education for 2 purposes.
First is for parnassah – MO does not push the kollel lifestyle, and believes a person should provide for his family.
Second is to better understand things. For example, learning trigonometry can better help someone to better understand parts of Maseches Sukkah. We all believe that everything is contained within the Torah, so we learn secular knowledge while recognizing that it all comes from Hashem, and will help us better understand things in a religious context. For example, most halachic medical experts come from MO circles, not from chareidi circles.
I’m going to have to make a distinction (that others have made as well, such as Harry M.).
There is the concept of “Torah U’Mada”, which can mean:
1: Mada is worth studying independently of Torah, being an alternative (or personal) means to certain Mitzva ends.
2: Mada is useful as a support to Torah.
3: Torah can be learned fully only with the Mada needed to understand it.
4: Mada is worth knowing without any other motive.
There is also “Torah Im Parnassah”, which is generally defined as learning but studying enough to support one’s family, including paying the Rabbaim that teach your children.
Then there is “Just Torah”, as Rabbi Dr. Lander ZTL put it when asked. He believed only Torah can be important in one’s life. Parnassah is a side point due to the Klallah of Adam HaRishon, that people have to do Hishtadlus. But there is no “Im” that can put anything with Torah.
Point being, any of these can be discribed (besides for perhaps the last Torah U’Mada point) as either “Yeshivish” or “MO”.
Charadi (as per the “standard definition”), on the other hand, views work (and Parnassah) as a b’Dieved for everyone, no matter what level they are up to in Bitachon.
Shlishi, great post.