If school board members were presented with the opportunity to offer a program that raises test scores and promotes a wide variety of skills and values, the officials would jump at the chance to take the offer. This revolutionary program is the same program that has been cut from schools and deemed unnecessary for academic success. According to the New York Times, arts education is the first budget cut to happen in nearly every school county. While science education programs are receiving up to $5 billion, art programs only receive $250 million. Students benefit from art and music classes more than any math teacher could predict, so they deserve to have a place in every child’s school day.
Arts education, which includes art, music, drama, and dance, is beneficial in nearly every area of a person’s life. Music promotes creativity, social development, personality adjustment, and self-worth. Art classes develop a variety of skills, including motor skills, cultural awareness, and language development. Arts education also helps in other areas of education. According to dosomething.org, countries that offer mandatory art and music programs show higher test scores. Along with this, sustained learning in music and theatre correlated with high achievement in core classes.
After the statistics shown, one may wonder why art classes have been receiving the first cut. The main reasons why art classes are removed are because of budget cuts and focus on core classes. As shown by lawstreetmedia.com, 95% of students attend schools with reduced budgets. When the budget drops, the first class to go is art because of the focus on core classes. Movements, such as the No Child Left Behind Act and Common Core, have focused all of the attention on higher test scores in math, reading, and science. Since then, classes like dance and theatre have dropped from 20% to 4% across America since 2000. Another major problem with art programs across the country is the lack of teachers able to teach classes for the arts. According to the New York Times, two-thirds of public elementary schools in New York City have no art or music teachers. This is especially disappointing when New York is one of the most major influences on the arts in the world.
While art classes are being cut nationwide, the poorer cities are suffering the most. Poor students are two times more likely to have access to art programs than their richer peers. Art programs should be reaching out to poor areas the most. Arts education provides an environment of community, which can be missing from many homes. In this way, education in the arts raises graduation rates, according to lawstreetmedia.com. Before cutting art programs, everyone must understand how important these classes are. They are detrimental to a child’s wellbeing. This issue is already speaking to some officials, which is a step in the right direction. Carol Sterling states, “We must demonstrate that when children do arts, they are doing critical thinking and problem solving and learning about civilization. Unless we categorize this in terms people understand, arts will always be considered a frill.” It is time to take action and save the arts. If you live in a school district where the arts are in danger, call your local school board members and fight against the removal of arts education.
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