Arts Education Obligatory

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Should classes like band, drawing and painting, dance, and drama be included in the obligatory school curriculum? The topic of arts education is a very controversial one, or at least a topic that has caused a lot of fighting. Some are fighting for more access to the arts, and others are fighting against it, claiming that arts are too costly to be beneficial. However, I believe that the arts are essential for children to learn because they help in and out of the classroom, teach creative problem-solving skills, and lower at-risk behavior in kids. Arts education should be mandatory in every school worldwide.
The arts, especially music, can have extreme impacts in the classroom. Children with arts involvement are proven to do better on standardized …show more content…

The National Endowment for the Arts (NAE) has an entire study on the relationship between the arts and at-risk kids. It explains that half of all low-income kids involved in the arts believed they would have a career in law, medicine or education, while only 21% of low-income students with no arts background believed they would. Arts education increased these student’s outlook on their entire life, which undoubtedly caused them to have a better life. The NEA’s study also found that low income students involved in the arts were more likely to participate in other extracurricular activities such as yearbook, class office, or honor societies. Not only do extracurriculars look good on college applications, they promote social and emotional growth as well. If the arts are required, students will have more access to other activities, which will help them in the long run. In a report from the Nonprofit Center for Arts Education, it is found that New York City schools in the top third of graduation rates were also the schools that offered the most art programs. M. Kathleen Thomas, a professor at Mississippi State University, says, “Arts participation can increase sense of agency because students create out of their own life experiences. If arts courses can engage at-risk students in ways other core courses cannot, encouraging high school arts participation could be a useful tool in reducing high school dropout.” (Thomas, 2015) At-risk students involved in the arts give their arts education as a main reason for staying in school. The NAE’s study concludes by saying, “Socially and economically disadvantaged children and teenagers who have high levels of arts engagement or arts learning show more positive outcomes in a variety of areas than their low-arts-engaged peers.” Arts education is good for at-risk kids, and all

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