Countless hours of schoolwork can feel like a tedious and pointless task for many. The school system has been built for students who excel in academics and leaves little room for students’ creative freedom. Many students enjoy creating work in art classes rather than studying work in academic classes. As well as academic classes, art classes are necessary for student growth.
Growing up a part of the school system can lead to constant comparisons and unattainable standards. Many students may feel the need to contrast their grades with their classmates and overwork themselves in their academic classes to achieve the grades society has deemed to be socially acceptable. Everyone’s brain functions in different ways, and the school system leaves no space for students to think outside of the box which is detrimental for many. The school system is stunting students’ growth in many aspects as some students work better in creative settings rather than structured ones.
Growing up, children are consistently being told to “be themselves”, however are being limited to certain classes that lack forms of self-expression. How can one stand out from their peers while being confined to a desk for seven hours a day, being fed the same pointless information?
“It’s a high level of academia that will push you to be recognizable in a crowd of people applying for a job, but what can really set you apart is who you are and how you deal with situations that arise and often it is the arts that grant you these skills and give you the kind of flare that gets you noticed,” art critic Michael Glover said.
Art classes strengthen certain skills that academic classes lack. Art is liberating and creates a sense of individualism which is an important skill for children to gain in their impressionable years of growth. A study from the National Endowment for the Arts found that “students with high levels of arts involvement had more positive outcomes in a variety of areas,” from high school graduation rates to civic participation.
Exposure to the arts has been seen to benefit various students attending school. The school system could use changes to create a more inclusive learning environment with room for all students’ interests.
