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The arts are important. There are a lot of people who don’t seem to think that they matter, but that’s not the case. They have a lot of importance in the lives of many people, even if others ignore them or don’t see the value. That happens a lot with education because budget cuts are generally centered around arts, music, physical education, and other classes that are often considered unnecessary. They have importance to a large group of people, though, so discounting them can cause a lot of upset with parents and students who feel that the budget shouldn’t be cut in a way that deprives their children of things that matter to them.
All too often schools think that the science, math, and reading classes are the only ones that have real value to the student body. They cut other things when they can’t figure out how to make ends meet without getting rid of something. The kids suffer for it, too, because they don’t get to express their creativity like they otherwise would have. The teachers also suffer. Those who teach art and other ‘incidentals’ are often laid off. The other teachers see that the children miss out on those more expressive kinds of classes, and that affects the students’ work overall.
It’s difficult enough to be a kid and express yourself properly, but taking away ways in which you can do that safely in a controlled environment makes things even more complicated. Supporting the arts in education is something that everyone can do, whether or not they have children in school. Even if you don’t have kids of your own, there are ways to support your schools so that they don’t have to cut important programs like art and take the joy of it away from the children who want to stay involved.