In today’s public education system fine arts and physical education classes are considered to be inferior to the core classes. Because math and English classes are considered more important, not enough money is put aside to fund the arts and PE, or the elective classes. In order to fix the problem of arts and physical education being considered inferior to core classes more emphasis and more money should be given to PE, arts, and humanities so that they are of equal importance as the core subjects.
Arts and physical education are considered less important than core classes and are receiving less funding. One problem with having too much emphasis on core classes is that graduation rate is dropping. Students uninterested in core classes have no reason to attend school because there are not enough art or PE classes to get them interested. Complete focus on core subjects is causing students to get bored or distracted (Robinson). In order to increase graduation rate more time and money is spent on core classes however this just increases boredom(11 Facts About Education). Another problem is that obesity rates are raising because students are lazy when they do not participate in physical education. There is no inspiration to be fit or healthy when students are only taught the importance of core subjects. Kids also move slower when they are not active causing their brains to function slower (Benefits of PE in School). This lack of physical activity is also a cause for graduation rates dropping. One more problem includes that arts and PE as part of culture are not given enough attention. Students do not learn skills that are important in everyday culture when they are too focused on math and science. Students are unable to learn trades t...
... middle of paper ...
...help increase students’ learning by exercising the right and creative side of the brain and therefore balancing the activity of learning.
Works Cited
“11 Facts About Arts in Education.” Do Something. Web. 8 Oct. 2013 .
“Benefits of PE in School.” A Movement for a Fit and Healthy America. Web. 23 Oct 2013
.
Fertig, Beth. “Mayoral Candidates Support More Arts Funding for School.” WNYC. 31 July
2013. Web. 8 Oct 2013 .
Hart, Jeffrey. “How to Get a College Education” from The Conscious Reader. Caroline Shrodes, et al., Eds. San Francisco: Longman, 2009. Print. 337-342.
Robinson, Ken. “How To Escape Education’s Death Valley.” TED. April 2013. Web. 26 Sept
2013 .
Speregen, Kathy. “Physical Education in America’s Public Schools.” University of Michigan.
Web. 15 Oct 2013 .
After reading " The Case Against High School Sports" by Amanda Ripley started to make me think. There were many strong points about how the priorities of the sports are beginning to be more important to students than their education. Another great point was that the financing and budgeting is unfairly distributed throughout school districts and is spent more on athletics and clubs and not enough on classes. And I Believe that schools should put certain restrictions on the spending and promoting or in school sports and clubs because of the major drop in national and world comparisons.
The fine arts were once highly revered by the community and were a part of everyday life, yet today the fine arts must face their biggest competitor, that being sports. Sports have become a big business and many schools find it easier and better to cut arts programs due to low funding rather than athletic programs. Even though fine arts programs are not as profitable as athletic programs, they should be funded equally to athletic programs because they help student achievement, help students improve their cognitive skills, and encourage creativity.
Hellmich, Nanci. "Report: More PE, Activity Programs Needed in Schools." USA Today. Gannett, 23 May 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
A recent development in public education has been the decline in arts programs nationwide. Budget cuts to arts programs are responsive to decreases in state funding, especially in states with conservative economic policies. Many states have also enacted legislation disabling local school districts’ abilities to justify employing art and music teachers. Consequently, several problems have manifested themselves, including the loss of arts programs proving detrimental to the overall quality of education for today’s children. First and foremost, arts programs improve overall performance in core school subjects; this is demonstrated clearly through higher test scores amongst students with exposure to arts and positive correlations between arts and core class engagement. Other reasons supporting retaining arts programs include to help foster community development, produce creative minds, develop problem-solving skills, aid in child development and visual-spatial skills, and encourage underprivileged students to remain in school (Metla, 2015). By removing arts programs from some public schools, an alarming issue of public concern arises. Public education, given that it is considered to be a non-rivalrous and non-excludable, is deemed a public good (Clark, 2016). Cutting arts programs in public schools, especially when cuts transpire in schools saturated with heavy minority populations, creates inequitable education and creates a serious issue of public concern.
The United States has many conflicts, one of them is funding on Public Education. In fact Public schools are to make every effort to try and help the students with all they can. Some schools have better things to offer to their schools. It depends on the population where the school is located. Do you agree that the public schools should get the funding depending on the population of where they are located? So many things are unfair and we the people do not really have much we can say publicly or even speak up to this situation. Every student should have the same opportunities as someone that goes to a school where tons of money are invested into. Let us focus on tomorrow’s future instead because once we know it the time will come to see these successful students take part of our country and keep us going forward for the better. Despite the fact that funding on public education will not help students succeed academically with the money provided to the schools, every school deserves to get as much money because students will receive more proper education and will be more successful students in the future.
Much too often in America today, modern music and art programs in schools are perceived to many as extracurricular activities rather than important subjects that are vital to a students learning and skill development. The truth of the matter is that encouraging music and art education in public schools has a much larger impact on student’s grades, academic performance, and the economy than the majority people realize. Within the next year city school budgets will be dropping by twenty five percent, and despite the fact that music and art programs have been showing a dramatic contribution to student’s learning, this substantial drop in funding for the programs will lead to no dedicated money for art or music programs (Mezzacappa). There is no doubt that a cut in funding for art programs will take a huge toll on students overall grades and test scores. Research has found that the studying of music and art facilitates learning in other subjects and enhances children’s skills in other areas (Brown). Furthermore, providing students with a creative outlet can do great justice in reducing the stress from many other classes and even offer insight for students in possible career paths involving the art field. The art industry today currently supports 4.1 million full-time jobs (Dorfman). By increasing the funding of music and art programs for students preschool through twelfth grade we can see a dramatic increase in the education of children across the United States, assist with skill development in young students, and greatly benefit the economy at the same time.
The topic of whether the art or sports budget in schools be cut to fund the other is very debatable. Arguments from omit supporting sides are valid, as sports and arts shape a student’s mind. The Evergreen School District’s budget for the programs deflated and is in need of a solution. Either the art or sports funding be cut, to fund the other. This has caused an uproar from students attending the school district. Arts and sports are both fundamental to students, but under these circumstances, the deplete of the art program’s funding is the only answer. Sports ought to stay in school, as it teaches how to work in teams, keeps you healthy, and prevents students from committing crimes.
First off the art program takes up to much of the budget some schools that lose a lot of money could be because of the fine arts program. Most schools are trying not to spend all their money, they are also trying to find ways to save their money. Most superintendents recommend on cutting the art program from schools. By cutting the fine arts program they save money in the salaries of employees. In the elementary levels art is usually the first thing to get cut, but on the other hand it is harder to cut when you get into high schools it is harder to cut because some schools need you to take so you can graduate. Fewer elementary schools are offering visual arts, dance, and drama classes. More than 1.3 million
In conclusion, the core curriculum is vital to life of any student, yet with more personal choice and freedom, the high school environment can be strengthened and improved . Having a more balanced high school curriculum, with more options for the students, would also allow students to narrow their focus on a particular field or subject, while preparing them for their major in college. It would even boost the confidence of the student body, and therefore boost the Test scores as well. In addition, students who have trouble recognizing their talents, might be able to have a more fulfilling high school experience. The purpose of school is to prepare one for the future and ones occupation; it is certain, that having a more elective-based high school program would do just that.
Fine arts classes benefit students and schools alike. Fine arts are needed courses, not just as electives but as core classes that promote learning and creativity in the lives of students. There are three different styles of learning: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Fine art provides an avenue for all of these learning styles to be utilized during one class period; therefore, all students are able to understand and benefit from the curriculum. In a normal academic setting all types of learning may not be used, so a percentage of the classroom will not understand the lessons as well as it could have if it had arts incorporated into the class. It may seem impossible to include arts into an academic setting, but it is possible, effective, and fun. According to Barry Oreck, it has been proven that students learning molecular bonding through a dance had a more proficient understanding of the concept. He states, “We have found that if you learn something through a theater game, you can still answer a test question” (new horizons Dickerson 3). This statement proves that arts are extremely important and beneficial. With fine arts, students have a safe environment to express themselves, a motivation to stay in school, and higher test scores. The fact that fine arts are needed is evident, but will schools respond or live in denial?
Now, primarily focusing on elementary physical education, it is substantially beneficial for elementary students to walk into gym class and learn about math, science, history, language arts, or any other classes that fall into their young curriculum. The reason why is because the average elementary student is always waiting for that time of the day to go run around and play games with their friends. Lets face it, what kid doesn’t want to go outside to play catch or go to the gym to shoot a basketball? Knowing that physical education teachers will hopefully receive the upmost attention and support from these young students, he now has the power to use that attention to potentially...
Jane Alexander, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), once said, “Many children are missing out on something which gives their education context, gives their lives depth and meaning, and prepares them to be the future workforce.” This “something” that she spoke of is music and art education. Unfortunately, she is entirely correct. We are currently seeing in our country a dramatic cut in arts education curriculum in our public schools due to the limited amount of both time and funding. In many cases budget cutbacks mean arts education cutbacks. This limited amount of resources often forces administrators to place a value on the various subject areas. There is always a demand for greater concentration upon the traditional basics: English, math, science, and history. There is also a new focus on computer competency and a renewed focus on the need for foreign language education. Add to this health education, family life education, industrial arts education, AIDS education, home economics, physical education, and business education and one begins to wonder where arts education fits in.
This same idea applies in the classroom. Teachers can foster achievement in students when a change in climate control creates the opportunity for possibility (Robinson, 2013). When each individual’s learning is cherished and valued, a lively education system flourishes and that’s where creativity thrives. Students entering schools today will enter into a workforce that none of us can visualise. Learning a specific skill set won’t help a child succeed, but learning to be more creative and thus adaptable, will.
Some parents state that school work is most important and physical education distracts time from learning. While this is true, PE class is just as important because it gets kids active and it gives children a mental break. Physical education obtains students a grade, therefore it is a class that students must attend. Similarly, calisthenics improve student’s grades in other subjects thus, is not a waste of time.
Some activity clubs we provide include, dancing, running, jump roping, basketball and soccer clubs, just to name a few. These clubs encourage kids to stay active. Our PE program also sends out monthly newsletters to the parents that give them ways to help their child live a healthy lifestyle. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education states, “Regular physical activity improves functional status and limits disability during the middle and later adult years. Physical activity contributes to quality of life, psychological health, and the ability to meet physical work demands. Physical education can serve as a vehicle for helping students to develop the knowledge, attitudes, motor skills, behavioral skills, and confidence needed to adopt and maintain physically active lifestyles. The outcomes of a quality physical education program include the development of students’ physical competence, health-related fitness, self-esteem, and overall enjoyment of physical activity. These outcomes enable students to make informed decisions and choices about leading a physically active lifestyle. In early years children derive pleasure from movement sensations and experience challenge and joy as they sense a growing competence in their movement ability. Evidence suggests that the level of participation, the degree of skill, and the number of activities mastered as a child directly influences the extent to which children will continue to participate in physical activity as an