Raiders of the Lost Art

Meghan Tuzzolino, Columnist

School arts, such as choir, drama, theatre, and band can shape the future of a student’s life and career. The main reason behind their importance is the self expression and confidence gained through participation. According to PBS, nearly 70 percent of students who joined school activities, arts in particular, showed improved self confidence and higher self-esteem.

Not only are there countless statistics that support the benefits of school arts such as the fact that many students involved in the arts increased other classes grades by almost 10 percent states ABC News. These classes are also dearly loved and appreciated by the students who engage in them, which makes them all the more critical to a student’s learning experience. And, even if a student didn’t choose to be involved in the beginning, they are much more likely to join if entering the arts was available throughout the year.

Be this as it may, the unfortunate reality is that arts such as these are usually the first thing to be cut from a school’s class offerings when the budget needs to be adjusted states Fox News. And, although critical classes such as reading and math are important, it should not take away from the significance of these activities.

Parents also tend to look for these benefits when enrolling their child in a school due to the known aid that the arts can provide in the department of career and life choices. School arts also give students a chance to try different activities without the stress of college pressure.

Many celebrity actors and actresses such as Kelly Ripa, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart all told The Washington Post reporters that their inspiring drama and theater teachers put them on their paths to becoming successful actors and gave them the motivation to do so.

The arts can be just as important as core classes to a student’s development, and this shows that not only should they be available to children, but also highly encouraged.