Some educationalists argue that non-exam, arts-based subjects, such as music, drama, art and craft, should be compulsory in the secondary curriculum. They believe that activities such as these can improve overall academic performance. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Looking from an educational perspective, educationalists have long been holding a belief in the interrelated association between

students

’ academic achievements and artistic merits. Personally, I totally concur with

this

viewpoint and affirm that the inclusion of

arts

-based subjects in the mainstream curriculum will bring numerous benefits to learners. For a variety of reasons, the notion of introducing

arts

,

such

as music and drama, as core subjects in secondary education is not a novel proposal. While

students

can greatly benefit from science courses by training themselves to be better at dealing with numerical data, art-based courses are expected to bring a balance to the functions of brain hemispheres. With

such

an interdisciplinary training programme,

students

can fully unleash their potentials. Another reason to support

this

new role of

arts

in the national curriculum is related to the mental effects it might have on children. Unlike science in which learners are required to have a high level of concentration, classes delivering these forms of art generally have quite a more relaxing atmosphere.

This

will cause a shift in their attitude towards learning, from negative to positive. Having said that, without the official implementation of the Ministry of Education, some educational institutions might perceive the art field as redundant and leave it out of their scheme. The advocate of

arts

in compulsory discipline does not stem from the personal preference of artists but from its practical implications for improving

students

’ academic merits. Learning and practising how to transform invisible strings of thoughts into tangible artworks help sharpen children’s logical thinking and problem-solving skills. These will be of importance to learning progress as

students

will be able to logically classify their knowledge and filter out unnecessary information. Better still, art can become a vehicle for relaxation after tense hours of academic training. Enjoyable lessons with a focus on craftsmanship will be effective in helping

students

recharge their battery before getting back to scientific terminologies. Taking everything into consideration, the significance of

arts

-based programmes has manifested itself in the positive influences

arts

might have on pupils’ performance.

This

reinforces my perspective that the ignorance of

arts

in the curriculum will be a huge loss for education.