The Importance of Fine Arts in Education

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What better way to start than with a bible verse that so wonderfully illustrates how the fine arts should be funded, “He said ‘I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood’” (The Catholic Youth Bible, Luke 21:3-4). Because the arts are funded from the surplus, when budget cuts are necessary they are the first to take the blow. The fine arts are considered one of the ten core school subjects; however, they are constantly treated as less valuable than other programs and classes. Although it is easy to dismiss the arts as merely the icing on the cake and not really necessary; it is a mistake to remove the icing because that is what makes the cake special. Students benefit from a well-rounded education that includes strong arts programs. If these programs are not funded and prioritized, it is a disservice to the students. The arts not only help students on tests that are valued by the education system, but they also help kids to emotionally engage and discover passion.
In today’s world, education is changing; the immense focus on testing is suffocating the knowledge that every student has the potential to gain. One would assume that with this increased focus on tests, it would be obvious to fund the arts since, “Arts and music education programs are mandatory in the countries that rank consistently among the highest for math and science test scores, like Japan, Hungary, and the Netherlands” (11 facts). This shows that music helps support the subjects that are prevalent on these tests of such importance. It is evident that, not supporting the arts is not supporting math and scienc...

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...c Youth Bible: New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition. Winona, MN: Saint Mary's, 2010. Print.
“Cutting Fine Arts in Schools” StudyMode.com 05 2012. 2012. 05 2012
Davis, Beandra. "The Notebook." With Budgets Tightening, Arts Education Is Further Squeezed. Ed. Paul Socolar. TheNotebook.com, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Hawkins, Tyleah. "Will Less Art and Music in the Classroom Really Help Students Soar Academically?" Washington Post. The Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Kooij, Anna V. "When All Words Fail, The Fine Arts Speak." When All Words Fail The Fine Arts Speak. Fine Arts in Schools When All Words Fail, The Fine Arts Speak, 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
“Music and Language.” Music and Language. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
"Why Art?" N.p., 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

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