The Arts In Schools

The phrase, “the arts,” does not just encompass the fine arts. This phrase encompasses all art including the fine arts, music, theater, English literature, and foreign languages. Your article in The New York Times titled, “Do We Need Art in Our Lives,” discusses how the arts “supposedly increase test scores, generate social responsibility and turn around failing schools.” I completely agree with this statement, but there are some schools that disagree and want to cut the arts out of their education programs. These schools obviously do not see the impact that the arts can have on individual students and the school community as a whole. For some students, extracurricular activities are the only thing keeping them in school. Multiple studies have proven that art studies help keep high-risk drop out students interested in school and stop them from dropping out. I have experienced this phenomena first hand. My friend was prepared to drop out of school because of bullies whose harsh words and general treatment of her was causing her grades to dwindle. She was constantly afraid and losing her ambition until I talked her into attending an art class with me. Instead of bottling everything
Art can teach students to express themselves and it can even get children interested in history. Just like any other subject in school, art has a history. However, the history of art is so much broader than other historical school subjects. Art reaches all the way back to ancient petroglyphs (cave paintings) and extends from there into dozens of different cultures including the Sumerians, the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans. The history of the arts is actually quite fascinating because of their ability to reach a broad spectrum of cultures and continue, even to this day, to go through drastic changes, yet still maintain the same general