By Nyah Toomes

Staff Writer

Art allows for students to be creative and self-expressive. It exposes students to different art forms from around the world, which gives them a greater understanding of diversity. However, all students are not interested in expressing themselves creatively at school or learning about art history. Art should not be a mandatory A-G course because it takes away a class slot for students who are interested in other subjects.

High school is deemed as four years of college preparatory courses. In the college structure, students are not forced to take any classes that they are not interested in. College students have the freedom to pick their classes from a variety of available classes within their major.

High school should mimic college structure due to the fact that it’s sole purpose is to prepare students for college. Instead of students being forced to take an art class, their time could be better spent taking a class that aligns with the subject they are most interested in.

According to Debate.org, 60% of parents believe that fine arts classes should not be required for middle school students. If parents feel their middle school-aged children should not be required to take art due to college preparatory standards, high school students should surely follow the same rule.

“Students should be allowed to take electives that suit their personal interests,” stated senior Michelle Wee “for example, everyone is not required to take Calculus, nor are they fit to, the arts should be treated the same way.”

The College Board states that students should take “five solid academic classes every semester” in order to be on the radar of college admissions. If one is an ath, it can be difficult to fit art in and meet this requirement because they are required to take sixth period conditioning. In order to meet this College Board expectation, they may have to add a zero period into their schedule.

Additionally, uninterested students enrolled in arts classes are essentially taking a space from a student who is genuinely interested in the subject. Students are often told that they cannot switch into a certain class they are interested in because it is full.

If students are uninterested in the subject of the class they are taking, they are likely to underperform. Students should be encouraged to take classes that will engage them and cause them to participate willingly.

In conclusion, fine arts classes should be kept, but they should not be a mandatory A-G requirement.