2011 – National 5th Grade 4th Place Award Winner:

Lucy Frucht, New York.

Do the Ends Justify the Means ?

Have you ever thought that your own school could be losing the arts? Children around the world should get a chance to experience the arts, because it gives them knowledge that helps them academically as well as artistically. When funding is cut from the arts in schools to save money, their ends do not justify the means. The government could cut other things from the budget instead. Many people agree that the arts should not be cut because it is a creative outlet, and also fun for the children. Kids should get the experience of art, dance, music, etc. because it is an enriching and important part of their education.

Children should get the chance to experience and have knowledge of the arts. Socrates would agree, as he lived in the importance of the arts. When children are practicing the arts, it makes them feel better, sparks creativity, and the knowledge will help them later in life. When kids practice the arts they are expressing their feelings, which makes them feel happy. Creative children lead to creative and productive adults. These adults create a health society, so in the long run the government is saving money. The arts give children more knowledge because it makes them focus. Those are only some of the reason that the arts should stay in school.

Keeping the arts in schools creates more jobs. If the government takes away the arts, the teachers lose their jobs. In this economy, it will be very difficult to find another career, and there is a chance that they will not find another one. They love their jobs already. Why should they switch. Even if they do find another job, it might not pay well, and the teachers should not have to struggle with money.

If the arts are taken away in schools, the government does save money to spend on other things. People could easily think that these things are more important than singing in a chorus or dancing in the school play. However, the arts have more benefits than anything else the government could spend money on. If the arts stay in schools it creates creative children who turn into creative adults. These adults are the one who make discoveries in science, business, and many other fields that help the economy and government. Rousseau believed that if the people support the government, then in return the people should get something. In other words, if the people pay taxes and obey laws, then they want something in return. In this case, one of the things that the people could receive in return is arts in schools. Overall, the arts should definitely stay in all schools.

The government should not cut the arts from schools because it helps children in many different ways. Children should be able to experience the arts. It gives them knowledge. Also, if the arts stay in schools then the teachers stay teachers in the schools. Therefore, it creates more jobs. Many people would get upset (not just children) if the arts were cut from their school. If the government really needs the extra money, it should cut something else rather than the arts, because the ends definitely do not justify the means when the arts are being cut from schools. So fight for your arts!

 

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