Cutting Arts
Arts Are Important In Our Schools
Student Playing Piano
Olivia Houck recently wrote an article about cutting arts, specifically the cutting of music and art programs, in our school districts. I could not agree more with the words she wrote.
Financial strains in public elementary schools have led to more and more cuts in music and art programs. Overall, reports have shown that the number of kids with access to music has declined 50 percent in the past five years. But the reduction in arts is actually costly.
The study of music, theater and other forms of art has been shown to stimulate other parts of student's minds and even keep them out of gangs and other harmful activities.
The public agrees that music and art programs in school are crucial in children's education. Students from a nationwide survey by the Gallup Organization show that "95 percent of Americans believe that music is a key component in a child's well-rounded education, 80 percent of respondents agreed that music makes the participants smarter; 78 percent believe that learning a musical instrument helps teach children discipline."
It is apparent that music and art programs in schools are crucial in children's education.
Arts programs provide a different kind of learning environment and supply alternative activities for students, helping them avoid gangs and other temptations.
The arts are a way to encourage self-discipline and present opportunities for jobs to students. If programs are not available at school, parents can step in, starting with an easy art project at home with a young child, through extracurricular music, dance or art classes. Interest can be sparked at an early age even in the simplest of ways.
This is an issue that public officials should handle better because arts programs are so beneficial to children.
So what can we do about cutting arts?
Get involved. Thanks for the information Olivia, now lets discuss the answer. Parents need to get involved. Get involved in getting arts back into our schools, at all grade levels. The arts and other related activities, whether it's speech and debate, band, orchestra, dance, theater or art classes, it's all important. It should also be provided in our schools.
The second part of getting involved is making sure your children get to take classes, be involved in clubs and have activities outside of the school. This was the way it was for my kids, endless lessons, theater groups and club meetings. But not all kids are so lucky, and not all parents can do this for their kids. If at all possible, parents, find a way to keep your kids involved in productive activities outside of the school.
And for all the parents that simply cannot do this, get arts back into the schools. For some kids, this is the only chance they will have to experience music, art, dance and theater. Don't take this away from them.
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