Perhaps the reason the funding for arts programs is so hard to come by, is because the benefits are not as easily seen as that of a standard math or history course. The skills and values that a child acquires from an arts education are slow building but extremely long lasting.
They learn about different cultures, and ideology through art history, and observe how people have learned to express themselves through the ages with art. They discover a deep understanding of individuality and what it means to create, to work with ones hands, and to form something from nothing. They master team working skills through group ensembles that prove that the whole can only be as strong as the weakest link. They uncover self confidence on an astronomical level, in a way that can not be taught, only discovered through performance and creation. They learn lessons that can not be found in any book in school, nor in any handout or research paper. They are self-teaching, self-motivated individuals who learn to strive for excellence along every step of the way.
These principles are entirely too important to be left out of a child's education. If the lawmakers can find a cheaper more efficient way to teach children these crucial lessons, then by all means go ahead. Yet, here we are, awaiting their masterful solution.
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