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Should Fine Art Classes Be Required

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Fine Art Classes Should be Required

How many fine art classes are you taking this year? 25% of students are taking one or no fine art classes this year. More fine art classes should be required because they are fun and help students express themselves, some students won’t take them because they had bad experiences in the past, and they are a relaxing break from coursework.
Fine art classes are fun and let students express themselves in different ways. A middle school student said, “I love fine arts. They give you a chance to be outwardly expressive and they are more fun and less stressful. They help me express myself through music.” Another student said, “The fine arts classes help me think creatively and are one of my favorite parts about …show more content…

Some students have had bad experiences with fine art classes in the past because of teachers or people in the class, not because of the subject, but they are hesitant to take the class again because they are afraid of more bad experiences. A high school student said, “I took art in middle school, and it wasn’t my favorite class, but I thought I could enjoy it more with a really strong teacher.” Students might take more fine art classes if they had that little extra push to sign up for the class. Students also find fine art classes relaxing because they have a break from coursework. A student said, “They give me a chance to be creative and free instead of dealing with core classes.” They provide a time to relax and escape from the pressures of their core classes. “It’s true that students involved in the arts do better in school and on their SATs than those who are not involved,” writes researcher Lois Hetland. Students can have time to relax and let information sink into them which could help them remember it and then do better on their tests. When people are less stressed, they concentrate …show more content…

Sarah Mitty, a journalist, writes, “However noble the idea, this... requirement seems highly unnecessary. After all those... years... [spent] suffering..., why should they be forced to… take an arts class again? If a student has a secret artsy talent he is interested in pursuing, he can make it clear.” However, some students might not even know they are interested in the arts. I didn’t know that I would like the woodshop class my parents made me take in seventh grade, but I ended up loving it. If my parents hadn’t made me take that class, I never would have discovered that I liked that sort of thing. It’s important that students try new things to find things that they love to do. And even if they don’t find something they love to do in a fine art class, sometimes in life you have to do things you don’t want to, and it’s good for people to learn how to do that. More fine arts classes should be required because they let students express themselves and are fun, some students won’t take them by choice because they are afraid of what other might think, and they help students relax and concentrate. They also help people discover things about themselves and learn how to get through activities that they don’t like. The counselors and administration at our school and other schools should require more fine arts classes

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