BellaOnline Forums Education Art Appreciation No Art in the school

My two granddaughters told me they don't have art in school. Do your children have art classes in their schools.?

Whenever the school budget gets cut, art is the first thing to go. Sad but true.

I don't know how people expect to raise creative thinkers without art, not to mention if you live in a culture you should know something about it.

Basically school administrators look at the art class as providing 2 services:
1. A free, planning period for the "regular" teachers.
2 A source of decorations for bulletin boards and school plays.

Parents think of art class with as much value as sandbox or recess. They certainly don't want their child wanting to grow up to be a "starving artist."

As a former art teacher I've been dealing with this attitude for a long time.

My children had a Phys. Ed teacher teaching art in their elementary school! "What difference does it make, it's not like it's an important class!"

I could go on at length, but I start to get very irate.

Oh my gosh, Helen really? I think art is one of the most important things in school. Creative thinking is what starts businesses, they are the people that can run companies, inspire others AND change the world.

I'm as irate as you are. Luckily our school district has a well rounded art and music program.

Signed creative thinker...freelance writer and certainly not starving!

Creative thinking develops the right brain, so in cutting out art (creative thinking) from an education program is essentially cutting a complete development of growing young people's minds. As educators, to make that decision to cut out art is to make the decision to cut off brain development - sinful.

There are some schools which does take the art class off from the syllabus... i was very fond of Acting and I wanted to get into film industry... But I never got enough encouragement from my school, so after the completion of my school studies I have joined a film acting school which is awesome and I am enjoying and learning all the new techniques and skills of film making...

Helen,

They had a P.E. Teacher teaching art? Oh wow that's a first. When I was attending elementary school, fine art was the first class to go then came music. It was a sad day because I love the arts and still do. It would be wonderful if art could be strongly appreciated like it once did...

People need a release for their emotions and one way to achieve this is to instill the importance of the creative side, beginning at an early age of development.

A world without art would be sad indeed. Art is just as important as the basic curriculum and should become part of the basics. A child needs to learn how to express themselves emotionally and there is no finer way to do this than art and writing.

When my children were in grade school, the teachers often had the students draw a picture of their home and family. This would tell the teachers a lot about the child's emotional health as well as their artistic ability.

Hi Phyllis. Thank God they haven't taken that out of my children's schools. For a while there we parents fought the idea of decreasing gym (physical fitness) time but I don't know what is happening in our schools. Some of them seem to be becoming very prison like.

Art was my outlet in school. I put all of my emotions and frustrations into art and music (being an avid woodwind player). I hope you can rekindle the desire for your grandchildren through alternative ways.

That is a real shame, to have art removed for students. I know several people who THRIVE doing graphic design. It is a definite skill set that we need in this world and that people should have access to as much as math and science and other areas.

I do a little sketching once in awhile and I did one of Jesus in graphite with hills, trees and a dove behind Him. My grandson loved it so much that I gave it to him. He keeps it on the wall above his bed. He now draws quite often in his down times. I gave him some sketch pads and pencils and he loves to draw. I hope he keeps his interest in this.

The school my grandson in now in (last year in grade school) encourages artistic talent. I just hope the middle school he will be going to next year will have art classes.