Why learn art in school?
The arts have been part of public education almost from the beginning. Nineteenth century education reformer Horace Mann, the father of American public schools, believed that the arts enhanced learning. He made drawing and music part of the Massachusetts curriculum for “common schools.” Many decades later, labor unions and progressives saw the arts as a way for the working class to develop intellectually and be empowered.
Arts education steadily increased throughout most of the 20th century. But in the 1970s, the arts began to fall victim to fiscal crises and budget cuts. Arts classes were further squeezed out after a 2001 federal law required schools to test children annually.
Read more on The Hechinger Report.
