Art has been sadly side-lined in schools in pursuit of more attainment in the core subjects of Maths and English. Art is just not seen as important as other subjects, but in reality, the arts have a huge impact on learning and should be considered equally as vital in education. Here are some of the reasons we should be expanding arts education and not limiting it:
Many children love arts education
For those children who don’t enjoy purely academic work, art is a chance to get ‘hands on’, has immediate results and encourages positive thinking and collaboration with peers. There is an opportunity to demonstrate skills, grow in confidence and feel good about achieving something creative. It’s not just children either who benefit from ‘hands-on’ creativity. Display your work with the help of Giclee Printing Services. For more information, visit http://www.river-studio.com/
Children learn positivity
Whether it’s learning an instrument, painting, attending dance classes or singing in a choir, engagement in the arts encourages achievement through small steps, practice, persistence and room for improving. What great lessons for life in general! The arts encourage positive behaviour that can relate to success in any area of life.
Creative thinking
Providing an atmosphere conducive to creative thought is just as important in the 21st century. It’s an important skill to have, however you wish to apply it. Whether you’re filling a canvas with colour, writing a song or producing a play – problem-solving, working independently, trial and error etc are all vital skills for any project or endeavour.
Developing critical skills
Art education encourages higher level thinking that can be transferred into other subjects too. Art fosters an atmosphere of questioning, observing, interpreting and seeing other perspectives. Developing critical thinking skills through the arts will benefit a student in endless aspects of further education and life experience.
Enrich learning of other subjects
Learning about different forms of art links in with so many other aspects of education. A student will learn about history, literature, engineering, scientific principles and even mathematics. Art education teaches those themes that cross the boundaries into all subjects – beauty, conflict, power, emotion and empathy. Art can show us human tragedy, but also joy and wonder.
Encouragement of continual growth
The arts encourage the development of passion, the desire to grow and improve. A lot of children discover skills and interests through engaging with art that they might not otherwise have found, whether that’s drawing, playing an instrument, writing, dancing or sculpture.
Teamwork
Art education encourages children to pull together to achieve something amazing and productive. This helps to develop their understanding of difference and diversity, empathy and collaboration. Such knowledge should lead to a more harmonious and peaceful learning environment.
