Many say that art classes are as essential for the development of children as other subjects, therefore such classes should be integrated in the curriculum of high schools. While acknowledging the reasons why people hold this thought, I firmly believe that these classes are rather optional for students.
Granted, it is understandable why people consider art-related classes as important to a child’s growth. These advocates often point out that art engagement can be beneficial for the mental development of children. For example, drawing requires attention and time, thus by learning how to draw, a child can enhance his focus while building persistence, which is believed to improve the cognitive ability of children. In addition, learning to paint and draw also leads to better self-expression and emotional outlet in children. Thanks to this, parents can understand more about their off-springs, therefore ensuring mental well-being for them.
However, art classes should be optional for high schoolers because of their schedule which is filled with major academic subjects. Consequently, adding such classes can make students feel overwhelmed, therefore resulting in mental diseases such as depression and anxiety. Furthermore, art is talent-based, thus it is inappropriate for most students. This selective nature of art classes leads to the lack of participants, which can put financial burdens on high schools to maintain such classes. Conversely, making art-related classes elective not only can allow high schoolers to freely choose subjects that are most suitable for their long-term goals but also make schools more flexible on arranging schedules.
In conclusion, while art classes are beneficial for the development of children such as improving their cognitive ability and ensuring their mental well-being, I firmly believe that such classes are not necessarily compulsive since making them optional allows students to choose more options for their future whereas helping schools effectively arrange schedules.