Monday, October 31, 2005

Lessons for Life

What would the world be like if Mozart never had a piano? Would the world be as colorful if Picasso had never learned how to paint? What would the game of baseball have been like if Babe Ruth had never picked up a bat?

These questions may seem silly, but they are not unrealistic queries when you consider the future of arts, music and athletic programs in schools.

Recently a teacher at a Southside Chicago Public School sat down to discuss her concerns for being trapped in a system that doesn’t allow children to strive. In her school, the primary focus is the basics, math and reading, but her fear is that the schools are leaving time for little else.

Not to long ago, as most adults will recall, a school day at most public schools consisted of the dreaded classes, horrific lunches, and to the dismay of most students, gym class. But even if you were the uncoordinated kid, you went to school acknowledging that at least you were getting some exercise.

And then there were the creative-type students who found their only outlets of release through art or music classes. After being the target of almost every dodge-ball game in gym class or lamenting the pointlessness of Algebra, the artistic students at least had an opportunity to forget about it all for a short time every day and immerse themselves in their work.

Today the world is shaping up to be a very different place for young minds.

The Southside teacher explained that currently at her school the kids have gym once a week and there isn’t any kind of music program at all.

How can this be?

In a recent study conducted in nearly 1000 schools in Illinois and with information supplied by superintendents, the hope for diverse learning programs is dwindling. Stephanie Banchero, a staff writer for the Chicago Tribune, investigated into this issue and found some very troublesome results.

In her early October article, she reported that as school budgets tighten across the country and the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act take hold, educators are being forced to eliminate many art, music and athletic programs in schools to focus on the fundamentals of standardized testing.


So the real question yearns to be asked: What will our world be like in 10 or 20 years when we are not providing the tools for our children to explore the colors and beauty of music and art?

As our small world becomes even smaller with the advent of technology, it is a pretty safe assumption that without these things, we are running the risk of becoming a dull and homogenized culture.

And as the education systems in the U.S. bend to meet the needs of standardized testing, our country will be most likely producing far less creative thinkers. This could be a dangerous proposition in a technological time where creativity and innovation are of the highest importance to stay competitive with the rest of the world.

Pablo Picasso once said “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” If this is true, and we are not providing an environment for art to flourish in our youth, then where will art ever fit in?

Tuesday, October 25, 2005


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