Many people are concerned with the state of education. With a rise in the cost of education and the decline of government aid to school systems the districts are having to make cuts and cutbacks. One ofthe things that have been increasingly cut is arts education. Arts education includes things such as band, orchestra, choir, visual arts, graphic arts, theater, drama, and performing arts.
It is unfortunate that the state of our economy has affected so much, but to begin to loose educational opportunities for our children may be the greatest tragedy of all. While the arts education decline does not affect every child when there is no longer an option it will affect every child. Some of the benefits that have been attributed to the arts education programs are greater academic achievement, higher test scores, cognitive thinking, and a unique way of thinking. It is also a great way for children to express themselves when they may not always have the words to describe how they are feeling. Having a way to express themselves through the music that they play or the pictures that they create can lead to a better balance of emotions at a vital time in their life.
The arts are also a great way to represent our culture and time period. If no one ever created art we would not have the beautiful representations of our history that we are able to see today. If we cut out the arts programs in our schools what talent are we potentially loosing? Perhaps the next great musician of our time will no longer find his music, or the next great artist will never have the opportunity to find his or her passion because they no longer have the choice available to them.
Awareness for the protection of the arts education has been growing in recent years with the aid of celebrities making public stands to protect our children’s education. Awareness of the problem has even lead to a National Arts Advocacy Day on April thirteenth. This year more than five hundred arts advocates traveled to Washington D.C. to capital hill to speak to government officials concerning the importance of arts education and asking for help in keeping the arts as part of the curriculum for schools.
Want to know how you can be involved in raising awareness for continuing the arts education for our children and future generations? It begins at your own local school districts. Go to the school board meetings and be involved with protecting your child’s education. Make sure that the school board knows that you want to keep the arts education in your school. Raise awareness in the other parents of the children in your school district to join in. Join one of the many programs that are available in your area or online that works to raise awareness across the country. Even if you do not have children or your children are out of the school age you can still be involved to protect the education of your grandchildren and the future generations of children. Arts education affects millions of students each year, and we can not be sure of what effects the end of that education would have on our children. What are we willing to give up for our future? What are we willing to take away from our children?