Nowadays, there are many subjects students have to study in secondary schools. Some people argue that secondary schools should require their pupils to study art and music. From my viewpoint, I partly agree with this notion.
On the one hand, art and music provide students with a great many benefits. First and foremost, making art and music compulsory in schools makes students grow interest in non-academic subjects and get hands-on experience in these fields. This is specifically advantageous for those who possess special gift or passion for drawing, singing, or dancing, as it gives them a platform where they can develop and perfect their artistic skills from an early age. Therefore, it is easier for them to pursue their creative career afterward. Another advantage is that performing art can enhance students’ imagination. To be more specific, different art and musical subjects can help youngsters to be more creative and sharpen their cognitive skills. This is beneficial because it boosts their ability to produce some unique ideas, thereby getting them well-prepared for their future prospect.
On the other hand, making art and music compulsory in schools brings the young some disadvantages. Firstly, studying art and music may lead to a decline in academic results. It is believed that students are already burdened with their regular academics at school. To be more specific, such subjects as Math, or Information Technology require a lot of students’ time and effort. Therefore, being made to perform art at school can withdraw their attention from those essential subjects, which can reduce their academic results. Secondly, Art and music are those subjects that require certain carefulness and special talents that not every pupil possesses. An obvious illustration of this is that some students are not good at painting, singing, or dancing. Thus, students can be embarrassed if made to perform art in classes, which may produce negative impacts on their mental health.
All in all, I think that studying art and music is very essential for a person. However, I believe that classes in art and music must be optional because if a student is dreaming about a career as a dentist and spends all his spare time reading about the new technologies and inventions in this field, I think it is not fair to make him attend classes when he does not want to.