Opinions are divided on whether the school curriculum should include artistic subjects like music, art and physical education or only prioritize academic ones that are directly linked to future career prospects. From my perspective, I fully agree with the latter view.
Those advocating the idea that creative subjects should be a part of school programmes may hold several reasons related to comprehensive developments and potential jobs in sport or art. Regarding the former reason, music or art can enhance creativity and emotional intelligence, thereby contributing to kinds of personal advancements that science subjects cannot achieve. This is because these subjects allow students to express their emotions, think outside the box, and address problems from multiple perspectives, which might be beneficial in both personal and professional contexts. Another argument worth mentioning is that these arts subjects could play a key role in helping students to discover their own talents and passions. As a result, these students can identify their own prospective career path while still in school; therefore, they can easily set clearer goals for their future when compared to contemporaries struggling to find a direction in their next steps.
Nevertheless, I still propose the latter view due to the utilization of limited school hours and demand for job qualifications. With regard to insufficient time at school, the curriculum should take a substantial priority to academic subjects which have higher perceived values to the current job markets. The reason for this is that a variety of jobs such as an engineer, an architect or a doctor, which show a considerable need for various positions in today’s labour market place, require strong foundations in core subjects like mathematics, science, and language. The second reason is that not everyone is born with innate abilities like singing or dancing, which would be an obstacle for these students to study and perform well in art-related subjects. As a consequence, not only can this squander the restricted time for other subjects in school which they are passionate about and good at, but can also waste huge resources on organizing the courses and hiring professionals to teach in art-related classes.
In conclusion, while artistic subjects can contribute to personal development and help a minority of students discover potential careers in creative fields, I strongly believe that academic subjects should be prioritized in the school curriculum.