The State of Arts Education in K-12 Public Schools

by

by : 
Kelsey L.

Summary

It is widely accepted that for education is important for America's youth. In particular, there is broad agreement that STEM subjects are essential, and that writing well is a valuable skill. However, an important opportunity in K-12 education is being ignored. K-12 public schools tend to lack arts education. Arguably, experiencing a Shakespeare performance by professional actors, viewing art in a museum, and being treated to a Mozart opera deepen a student’s understanding of what it means to be a human being more than do simply reading literature or history. Arts education also offers students opportunities to make art: to write, direct, costume, light, and act in a play; to create paintings and sculpture; and to perform music in a broad spectrum of genres. Moreover, “Arts education,” according to an 2017 article written by the Center for Online Education, “helps students improve visual analysis skills, learn from mistakes, be creative and make better critical judgments.”