Imagine walking through the halls of a school and getting a peek into the classrooms. In one room, several students, each with a different instrument, are playing a song in beautiful harmony. The next room shows students working in groups to paint a mural-sized picture, working together to get the perfect blend of color and realism. In another, the room is silent except for the teacher. They look bored and frustrated. They don’t interact with one another and are barely interacting with the teacher. This shows the benefits of the arts in public schools. The issue of whether the arts should continue to be supported in public schools has been widely debated throughout the country’s history. The arts are a key element to student development. In recent years, new education policies have focused on testing students to ensure that they have acquired critical math and reading skills. The cause is noble however many schools are cutting music and art classes in order to focus solely on the subjects being tested: math and reading. Education in the arts is beneficial, despite the continued conflict, because it can improve academic achievement, allow creativity and build character in the students.
Research indicates that students involved in the arts exceed average achievement. In a well-documented study using a federal database of over 25,000 middle and high school students, researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles found that students with high arts involvement performed better of standardized achievement tests that students with low arts involvement (Rupert). The No Child Left Behind Act describes the arts as essential to every child’s education and clearly mandates the arts as a core academic subject. Art and music programs are mandatory in countries that rank consistently among the highest for math and science test scores, like Japan, Hungary and the Netherlands. Students who participate in the arts have a better chance to transfer, which is...