Arts and Music Matter
It really surprises and shocks me that so many schools in the UK, and the US in particular, are opting to forego arts and music classes in favour of other subjects.
To me, these topics are the cradle of civilisation. Without something to soothe the soul or to stimulate the mind, how can we create anything, or what is the point of leisure time? Too many schools are falling under the veil of business and science, thinking these are all that matter. They are not. We do not live to work, we work to live. Leisure time is as vital to learning as study. it is in these quiet moments that our brains go over what we learn and come up with new ideas, new modes of thinking or simply by taking our minds off a topic for a short time, allow us to see that issue from a new perspective.
As a writer, music and images, art, inspire me. They activate parts of my brain that may otherwise remain dormant. They are the keys that unlock our true potential. In cutting these subjects from any curriculum we limit children's ability to learn, stiffling their creativity and their imagination, which has a knock-on effect on their academic work.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/16/opinion/schulte-daydreaming-productivity/index.html?iid=article_sidebar%22
