Art and Music Education
Posted by Winnie Melda on October 17th, 2018
It is an undeniable reality that education is vital. Parents strive to accord their children the best education with the expectation that the exposure would help them secure their lives in future. However, the question is “which field of education is best?”. Parents have a tendency to encourage their children to focus on the science, engineering, and technology subjects and become engineers, doctors, and such similar “high” and “well-paying” professions. The emphasis on science subjects has seen arts and music education suffer. The subjects are not given as much seriousness as the sciences, and in some schools, they are considered optional and the first to be scrapped if the need arises. Learning institutions must accord arts and music education programs the same worth as any other program.
Body
The perception that arts and music programs are optional subjects for students must be eliminated. Such medieval perceptions beat the logic and reality on the ground where musicians and artists are living off their talent. There is a need to address the problem by adopting effective and realistic solutions.
Music and arts education programs must receive adequate funding just like other educational programs. Adequate funding will ensure that music and art education programs will have finances for curriculum development, staffing, and purchase of learning equipment. Students have different skills and abilities, and while some may be excellence at sciences and math, others may be excellent in art and music. The proper financing of arts and music programs ensures that students skilled in the field can have an equal learning opportunity for any other child (Jorgensen, 2008). The existence of legislations such as the No Child Left Behind had created a situation where children were put through rigorous testing that resulted in enrollment in test preparation and remedial classes. Music and arts programs were regarded as unimportant and optional after-class activities/lessons for interested students.
The federal, state and local government can work with music and art educators to establish learning institutions that exclusively offers music and the arts. Such a move would see arts and music education programs receive the seriousness it deserves. The existence of purely arts and music schools would ensure that a curriculum for the subjects is developed. The presences of music and art schools would also ensure that the government trains and recruits qualified teachers to the institution (Callaway, & Kear, 2005). The Schools would give students will art and music skills an opportunity to hone their skills and establish a career in their later life. The existence of a school will also ensure that art and music students find n institution where they feel that they belong and deserve to stay. Some students with excellent art and or music abilities tend to shelf their talents when they enroll in a school that emphasizes on science and math.
Conclusion
Learning institutions must accord arts and music education programs the same worth as any other program. There is a need for ample funding for the programs as well as the construction of learning facilities that are exclusive for arts and music. Arts and music educators, planners and curriculum developers must speak out on behalf of all students gifted in the arts and music. The students need an opportunity to develop their skills just like any other students. The impression that the science programs are more important than arts and music must be eliminated. The trend in society today is evidence that individuals can earn a living from the arts and music.
Reference
Callaway, G. & Kear, M. (2005). Improving teaching and learning in the arts. Routledge Publishers
Jorgensen, E. (2008). Transforming music education. Indiana University Press
Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at Melda Research in best nursing writing services if you need a similar paper you can place your order for custom nursing papers.
