Among parents and teachers, there has been a discussion, whether pupils should attend art classes in school or whether they could spend their time with more useful subjects. Whereas art is an inherent part of human culture, in the modern world, due to the rising importance of science, business and technology, art forms like theater, visual arts or music have become less relevant for one’s professional career. This essay will discuss both these views and argue in favor of the former.
As the only purpose of a school should be to lay a solid foundation for the pupils later professional career, teaching about the arts is irrelevant for future success. As the job market is increasingly searching for workers with skills related to STEM, it is not effective to spend time singing in choirs, drawing pictures or performing a play on stage. A recent article of the financial time has stated that artistic talents are the least sought after by employers, whereas profound know-how in fields like physics, engineering or mathematic are highly appreciated.
However, as art is a crucial part of humanity’s cultural heritage, it is of utmost importance to foster the interest of children in music, theater and literature. If schools were to eliminate art classes from their curriculum, it is set that many students would never get in contact with this integral component of their culture. Even in the age of science and technology, paintings, books, and other works of art can act as a source of inspiration and foster creative thinking, which certainly is as important as hard skills like programming or calculating.
In my opinion, it is not a waste of time, when children are taught about the arts in school, as it can aid them to learn how to think outside the box and in less stringent ways than conveyed in STEM-subjects. This will be a great advantage for them in their future career, as even technological and scientific problems sometimes need a creative solution.
In conclusion, while it is improbable that minors will have to create a piece of art or perform on stage in their future job, it is definitely not a waste of time teaching them about music, visual arts or literature, as these art forms serve as an integral part of human civilization.