Angélica S.

Rivera Collazo October 13, 2020

Why should art be taught with equal importance?

Art involves a large range of topics that merge with traditional school topics or

traditional academics. According to Meriam Webster dictionary art is “the conscious use of skill

and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” Art gives some

control, that they might have or not, over something to the person who is creating it. Some

schools are not giving classes that involve the arts or they are not giving it much importance. In

some cases, these departments are being defunded. This prevents the students from expressing

themselves in a school setting, as well as, possibly limiting their learning. Although not all

students are the same, some learn by visualizing and others learn better with a more

conventional way. Art can also help a person in the future on various situations.

Art helps develop different skills, for example, creativity. Students can benefit from it by

expressing themselves in a way that they are not used to, they could feel somewhat free, since

some classes do not usually involve a creative process. Some people think of solutions that are

outside the box and can be able to react effectively to a situation in the moment. This goes in

hand with problem solving, it makes the students create questions that they would want to

solve. For instance, there might be a problem that no one has been able to solve just because

they are all thinking of the same possible solutions. However, if another student tries to think

about other ways, maybe merging two previous ideas, modifying one or just coming up with

one of their own.

Art can also help a student express what they want to say, for example non-verbal

communication. It can assist not only to express themselves creatively, but it helps the people

who do not or cannot communicate what they feel or what they are doing with words. This
Angélica S. Rivera Collazo October 13, 2020
Why should art be taught with equal importance?

does not directly involve school, but it encourages students to let out what they are feeling, to

not let their emotions get in their way of learning.

According to the Research Autism corporation, “Creative and expressive therapies are

any interventions in which a therapist uses a creative or expressive art form to help a client.” A

person who benefited from art is Tim Burton, he has autistic spectrum disorder, at first, he was

an introvert who stayed alone. In consequence of him making art while alone, he developed an

interest in cinema and film making. Now he is a very successful film maker, and it shows that art

can affect the future of a child. These skills help expand someone’s way of thinking as well as

their approach on problems and ways to determine an answer to a new problem. People who

have a hard time communicating can simply do it by art. If schools do not give it too much

attention some kids could simply not understand what is happening or the teacher would not

know how to help them.

If a student participates regularly in the arts, they have a higher chance of being

recognized for academic achievement. “Using a federal database, over 25,000 middle and high

school students…found students with high arts involvement perform better on standardized

achievement tests than students with low art involvement.” From Research compendium

Critical Links. Some people say that a person does not benefit by learning about art or applying

it. They like to say that for being a doctor or an engineer they do not need it. An example is in

the SAT test scores, it has helped, especially in Math and verbal. Nonetheless, this shows that

involving art into the school curriculum or at least in the student’s life can greatly impact them.

It can also impact them when they are applying for a higher education.
Angélica S. Rivera Collazo October 13, 2020
Why should art be taught with equal importance?

Apart from the academic side of things, art connects students with other cultures. First,

paintings, they tell stories of events, it shows the artist and/or society’s view on what was

happening back then. Museums are a great example in which culture, represented by art,

merges with history, and teaches about other places or eras. This information can benefit on a

person’s better understanding of the world and what has happened in the past.

Schools must give equal importance while teaching any topic based on art. Not only

because it will help them academically, but also because it can help them understand

themselves as an individual. A person can develop different skills that can be used on a day to

day basis, as well as, in school. The great thing about art is that it does not limit a person’s

abilities but expands them. This way they can connect with others. These are some, of the

many reasons why art should be taught at schools with equal importance. As well as defend it

against people who would like to or are defunding schools, ridding them from teaching tools.