I want to talk about the importance of art in schools, especially in middle and high schools. Why is art important? Art creates awareness and passes information in unique ways to allow comprehension by many people. In a world with people of different levels of education, art stands a chance to equalize the level of understanding of societies. It is widely believed among Americans that exposure to the arts is critical in education. According to Shaffer (2019), learning art increases imagination and creativity among learners, which supports students’ outcomes in other educational areas. Unfortunately, despite proof that art programs increase student achievement, they are constantly under threat of being cut from school funding. In this speech, I will help you understand the different benefits of learners’ participation in arts and why schools should continue upholding artistic subjects in schools.
Studying art leads to increase educational performance of young leaners. Research by Shaffer (2019) reveal that students who take art lessons are more likely to be acknowledged for their attendance and more likely to be recognized for their academic accomplishments. For example, Shaffer (2019) argues that exceptionally brilliant children tend to flourish in all aspects of their lives. Given how successfully the performing arts relieve stress in response to external events, it is worrying that most schools want to eliminate them due to budgetary concerns (Shaffer, 2019). The National Endowment for the Arts released a study that outlines the numerous benefits of exposing more children and young adults to the arts. According to the findings in the report, academic achievement improved social skills for at-risk children when interacting with arts and other students in and out of school (Gibson & Ewing, 2020). Why would anyone want to take such benefits from the young generations? Art is a tool that needs to be supported to ensure children with traumatic or psychological problems learn to interact with their external environment.
Many people do not believe that school arts programs are as important as scholars argue, especially due to counterstatements by some laws in the country. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is a prime example of a law that contradicts this viewpoint because it emphasizes standardized testing while decreasing resources for the performing arts (Gara et al., 2022). Some critics of NCLB argue that it places too much emphasis on standardized testing, leading to teaching-to-the-test and cutting instruction in areas such as music, dance, and the arts. Regardless of what the NCLB Act implies, arts achievement is often judged by comparing test scores to those in core disciplines such as mathematics and language arts. Children exposed to the arts at a young age may have an easier time learning literacy and numeracy. Additionally, many young people learn self-control through extracurricular activities such as athletics and the arts, which cannot be taught in a traditional classroom. It is, therefore, inadvisable to give all weight to some subjects while ignoring arts, which has many benefits for learners, especially in middle and high schools.
Overall, the move to exclude arts from the school curriculum for the sake of subjects like math and English should be challenged. Art may help young people discover their strengths, raise their confidence, and provide them with the problem-solving skills required for success in the complicated and competitive twenty-first century. Art has been linked with significant contributions to subjects considered core, including math and English. As a result, students should be allowed and supported to explore any academic or artistic discipline of their choice. This way, learners can become confident and comfortable in front of big groups of people and become active participants in their education. The final result is improved academics and social life, which is hardly achieved through other subjects. To conclude, you should encourage your children to participate in art education to gain from the associated benefits.
References
Gara, T. V., Farkas, G., & Brouillette, L. (2022). Did consequential accountability policies decrease the share of visual and performing arts education in US public secondary schools during the No Child Left Behind era? Arts Education Policy Review, 123(4), 218-235.
Gibson, R., & Ewing, R. (2020). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Springer International Publishing.
Shaffer, M. L. (2019). Impacting student motivation: Reasons for not eliminating extracurricular activities. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 90(7), 8-14.