Do you think the arts should be brought back into the public school systems?

Question

Do you believe it makes for a more rounded student?

Answer 1

Certainly...!, as the liberal side of curriculum (especially in social dominated settings like public schools) helps point the youth in the "manifestation" direction.  Meaning that through the arts, lots of youth begin to overstand what having an "objective" view of the world is all about.  Very important, as most people in general don't begin this journey until they are older, or have experienced an event(s) positive or negative

Answer 2

I like this dialogue from the movie 'mr. holland's opus'  --

Principal - we are having to cut the budget and all arts and music are out. If I have to choose between reading and math or music, I choose reading and math

Music teacher -  if you cut all this out there will be nothing left for them to read

Answer 3

I don't know where you live but where I am, the arts never left.  It is extremely important because those students that don't always find success in the classroom can find success in music and art.

Answer 4

The arts should have never left the school curriculum to begin with.

Any art - music, visual design, drama, dance - requires use of the right brain for thinking processes. Most academic subjects cannot make that claim and for that reason, we have "art" in the schools. It isn't for entertainment, or for those who can't do well in other subjects, or as a filler or as an "extra" for fun. In education there is a reason for everything, including recess - AND ART.

It is very sad that as much as the arts community has tried to educate the administrators, education coordinators, legislators and others  about the importance of this "way of thinking" or problem solving, it still has not sunk in. The most civilized populations have had arts to the highest degree. There must have been a good reason for that.

It's really great to be an arts teacher though because kids love coming to your classes. They look forward to being an "individual" and using their thinking in another way that may be more beneficial to them. There are many ways to teach a child and "Multiple Intelligences" is one way of looking at it.

We are right now educating our children to take tests that legislators (when was the last time they were in a classroom??) have demanded for accountability. We don't have "bad" teachers by the way - We have excellent devoted teachers who are giving their all to our students.

To answer your question - emphatic YES, it does make for a more rounded student to have the opportunity to use the right and left brain to solve problems, use critical thinking processes. THose who have taken arts subjects have scored higher on SAT's. It's a researched fact.

Answer 5

The arts are a necessity for a student as they provide the "flavor" in a well rounded education.  

I participated in the arts in my public schools - chorus, theatre, drawing, painting, creative writing.  Like most things public schools touch, the soul was sucked out of these experiences.  

The best arts experiences I had were after school, from vocal arts in the CYO to painting classes at the local arts center.  The arts are too important to be in the hands of the educational butchers of the public school systems.

Answer 6

Art should be brought back into the public school system. Yes, I believe it does make for a more rounded student.

;D