In “The Sanctuary of School”, Linda Barry describes her experience as a child in the public school system. She was fortunate enough to have an caring teacher who emphasized creativity and art. This provided an escape from her mundane home life, where she is oftentimes inactive and bored. She sneaks off to school early in the morning in order to spend as much time there as possible (Barry). Barry and many other kids benefit from the solace that thoughtful teachers create with an expressive environment however, her experience isn’t true for everyone.
Barry fails to mention any of the other problems that schools face. American schools have a overwhelming amount of bullying which can cause student to feel scared and uncomfortable at school. Public schools can’t always provide the protection that should be required because of school funding. There have been many school shootings and other events that put mistrust in school security. Barry’s essay is extremely bias and only shows her point of view when there are millions of different cases. Art can be very beneficial to
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young students but it is not a panacea. The most important part for children in public schools is to feel secure which cannot usually be obtained through art. It is important to consider that Barry wrote “The Sanctuary of School” from the perspective of her 5th grade self.
One of her main points is that art isn’t well funded enough which is true in many cases but less true when you are in elementary school. There has been a decay in arts programs but “there has not been a “dramatic narrowing” of the arts curriculum, despite some troubling patterns” (Walker). Arts programs are extremely beneficial to children, but after elementary school it is important to educate yourself on subjects like mathematics, science, and history. It is also important for students to have access to Career and Technical Education programs that will lead them to well-paying jobs. I do believe that if arts received more funding in appropriate situations, it could create an outlet for students. But with the right teaching style, other educational programs can be just as
beneficial. Another factor that Barry did not mention is that “economically-disadvantaged students simply do not have the same access to the diverse learning experiences – including arts – of affluent students” (Walker). Without government help, certain schools cannot afford to keep arts going because they are extremely expensive. I know from personal experience that painting supplies and other crafts are too costly. There’s a difference from saying that schools need to put more funding towards art programs and coming up with a solution so that it can be accomplished. Large sums of money don’t come out of thin air. Barry makes good points about what is necessary to a strong education.. She was a troubled child who could rely on free guidance from her public school. She says, “We all know that a good education system saves lives, but the people of this country are told that cutting the budget for public schools is necessary, that poor salaries for teachers are all we can manage and that art, music and all creative activities must be the first to go when times are lean” (Barry). She fails to explain why this is happening or what the solutions are. I agree that this country doesn’t put enough time and money into the public school system but there are other important factors to consider. The interests of students are diverse as the children themselves. Barry has alienated her potential audience by only focusing on art education.
Along with a strong appeal to logos, the speaker uses a sentimental tone to support the points that we stopped kids from doing creative things. From his personal experience, Robinson maintains, “When you were kids, things you liked, on the grounds that you would never get a job.” The essence of the speaker’s argument is that we only encourage our kids for doing something worthy. When we say that things they like to do have no scope, this emotionally affects kids. Ultimately, guardian just put the weight of their ambitions on the delicate shoulders of their kids. This builds the pressure on students to meets with the expectations of their guardian. Therefore, one should understand that every child has his own specialty, potential, and liking.
“The sanctuary of school” by Lynda Barry Lynda Barry demonstrates her childhood experiences on the essay, “the sanctuary of school”, specifying how crucial schools are for children: especially neglected children like herself. Once, she walked alone to her school in a dark morning due to overwhelmed of parents’ financial issue conflicts. As she walked to the school, she gradually realized that the school was her home in which people were happy, felt nurture, and safe rather than her actual home, where Barry felt dejected. Furthermore, the author stated that school budgets cut is an issue for future children and students because the art, music, or before or after school activities program would be the first cut from the schools. These issues
Once this becomes the norm for teachers they tend to become uninteresting, and students are the ones reaping the consequences. Rose acknowledged this cycle of learning apathy, writing, “But mostly the teachers had no idea of how to engage the imaginations of us kids who were scuttling along at the bottom of the pond”(1989, p.2).
...iform policy, bullying, segregation, and distractions will not be the reasons of poor school environment. When all the negative effects are prevented, it would form a better place for students to learn and keeps them united.
My life story began when I was born on June 18, 1990 in the United States. Lived in the U.S.A for about two years and my parents decided to go back to their county and continue living there due to their business. But after 10 years living in Egypt my parents again decided to come to the U.S. for a better future for my siblings and I. However I was blessed to be in a family of Christian. Throughout 10 years being in a Muslim country was something completely different than being in the United States. At the time neither me nor my parents were feeling weird about it because my parents brought me up in churches and placed us in Christian schools that were very stricked about our behaviors and living the Godly life. But in general just never had a problem living in Egypt, I loved everyone around me and didn’t have any problems at all being around different types of religions.
Schools are where we spend half of our lives at, our kids are spending time and energy in these places to become better people in the future. There is absolutely no reason why budget cuts should ever happen in a school. If the country is taking taxes from all of the citizens than they should be conscious to spend that money on things that matter like our children. Making budget cuts takes away programs for kids to excel in and makes a child harder to express himself. Arts are usually the first programs to be cut.
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.
Many schools consider art, music, and physical education programs ‘fluff’ classes, which is why when schools are looking for a place to save money those are some of the programs that are first to go. Claire Suggs, Senior Education Policy Analysts for the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, found that “about 42 percent of districts are reducing or eliminating art or music programs and 62 percent are eliminating elective courses” (“Cutting Class” #1). Art and music programs should not be cut because they allow students to explore their creativity and improve problem solving skills. On the
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.
Rhys Southan’s essay “Is Art a Waste of Time?” is about art and if it can really help people who are suffering or is it just better to hand over your money. In Yo-Yo Ma’s essay “necessary Edges: Arts, Empathy, and Education” he focuses more on art being used as educational purposes to essentially create more innovative/empathetic people. Instead of focusing so much on STEM, the author states that we should incorporate art too. Although some people might say art does not play a role in making the world a better place. I believe it can by bringing awareness to different social issues. Also, if we incorporate art at a young age it can teach kids to be open minded and happier people.
The fact that fine arts are needed is evident, but will schools respond or live in denial? The arts provide a safe environment for students to express themselves without the worry of ridicule. These kids should have the opportunity to participate in multiple fine arts activities as a way to communicate their feelings in a healthy atmosphere (Weber). Green Lake Elementary School believes its students “acquire a positive learning attitude for a lifetime, celebrate the uniqueness of all, understand similarities and differences, develop an appreciation, respect, and understanding of the physical environment, have fun, laugh, and enjoy learning” (New Horizons Dickerson 1).... ...
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.
Schools that are in low income areas tend to have a higher dropout rate and lower grades. When the art budgets are cut the only classes that may be keeping some of the kids engaged in school may also be cut. Although it takes the budget away from the core subject supporting the arts in a high risk school will eventually help the school in the long run and help the students there learn the life skills that are needed to get through school and succeed in life. Art is a great way to get and keep the attention of students who are not interested in
The issue of school safety has become a controversial topic in the United States, due to tragic acts of violence occurring on a daily basis. American citizens should never have to cope with the negative impact of school violence, no matter how often they hear about the tragedies (Jones, "Parents" 1). In the past, schools were viewed as a safe place for children to get an education. Recently, the concern over violence in schools has taken a toll on many parents, school administrators, and legislatures (Eckland 1). Studies have shown that there are over 3 million acts of violence in American public schools each year. Not all occurrences are serious and deadly, but they occur on a daily basis throughout our country (Jones, “School” 6). This has caused many parents to worry about the well-being of their children while they are in class. This has also led to an increase in questions and concerns by parents and guardians. Many people have asked, “What are you doing about safety and security on my child’s campus” (Schimke 2). School violence is the cause of elevated worry and fear for their children, and school districts should enforce better security.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” -Pablo Picasso. This quote is pretty straightforward. It says how all children are artists and how they grow older are not an artist anymore. A child’s drawing can tell so much about what they are thinking and feeling about their surroundings. They see things differently from adults and teens because when they are drawing or doing some sort of art they are not told that it is a “bad picture” or what ever they are doing is “not right.” They don’t have a limit upon their thoughts and ideas, but when they grow up, they do. Starting from the first day of school they are taught about the wrong things and the right thing. As we grow older there are more classes that have right and wrong answers to a question like for example math. We learn to follow the steps, use the formula, and get the right answer but because of these classes we forget about the arts. If the arts are forgotten then student’s way of expressing what they feel is taken away. Which brings more pressure to students in classes like math, physics, geography, and etc. That is why schools should make arts classes mandatory because arts classes help students build their artistic and creative skills, makes them better learners, and encourages them to find other ways of expressing their thoughts.