The importance of the arts in education is something that is highly under appreciated, ignored, or not understood, despite strong evidence that shows how beneficial a foundation in the arts really is to academic achievement.
I have done it all: I had the lead role in this year’s children’s musical. I had worked my way up from being in the chorus in previous musicals. I have been involved in theatre and chorus my whole high school career.
Being involved in the arts has also helped me become a leader in academic settings. Since I take on a leadership role and challenge myself in the arts, challenging myself in the classroom is much easier. Being a leader in class discussions comes naturally because I’m comfortable speaking and I’m comfortable leading my peers. Students who are involved in the arts learn to not be afraid to express themselves and that lesson transfers into the classroom as well.
According to a poll found by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, 93 percent of people in the U.S. believe that the arts are important in education. The main reasons given were that the arts give students a more positive outlook on school, and that it helps students communicate better with their teachers and fellow students.
Still, even with these facts there are people who say that the arts aren’t important in schools. The Arts Connection study through the Kennedy Center states that art programs help students to learn for themselves as well as provide a free environment where they are able to push themselves harder to succeed.
It is absolutely true that the arts help students academically. Due to my foundation in the arts, I am much more comfortable speaking in front of my peers and my teachers under stressful situations. With the rigorous IB program that AHS offers, students need to be able to feel comfortable speaking up in class and being evaluated on countless oral presentations and oral exams. By getting a foundation in the arts, students learn to become more confident with themselves and their individual voice and are more willing to take the risk to speak up in order to succeed academically.
Michelle Picard, an ESOL teacher who also helps with the ESOL theatre department, says that she can see her students who participate in or read theatre become more comfortable speaking English in the classroom.
Perhaps one of the most important things the arts provide for education is something that most people see as having nothing to do with education at all. This is a large part of the reason why the arts are easily pushed aside and considered to not have academic value. The social and creative outlet the arts provide is an amazing benefit academically. It sounds strange, but being a part of a group that helps students and helps them strive and grow has major benefits in the classroom as well as later on in life. Students are happy to come to school, even if at first just so they can enjoy the freedom provided in their arts classes. After a while, however, that desire to learn and push themselves harder expands until it applies to other subjects as well.
With all of these facts out in the open, it seems clear that the arts are something that schools should focus on. In order to get the best education possible, students need to be heavily exposed to the arts. With all of the benefits education in the arts provides for other academic areas, there is no reason why a little extra effort or extra money can’t be put in to make sure these programs strive and continue to grow in the public schools.