After a number of years of being put on the back burner, students at California schools will now have arts education included in their curriculum. Drama, music, and visual arts were once dismissed as being mere fluff, but now they are considered a tool to helping improve overall student performance.
Students at California Schools Need to Have a Well-Rounded Education
The State of California spends one of the largest budget allocations to public education – in fact, some 40% of its tax revenue is devoted to education.
There are three collegiate level divisions that a college-bound student can get to in California. One is the University of California which has nine general Campuses. It intends to accept the upper 12.5% of college-bound students and provides most of the graduate studies and research.
The California State Colleges, on the other hand, is where many of the college-bound population end up. It has 23 campuses and has more than 400,000 students in enrolled. CSU is the largest college system in the United States.
Over the past decade, music has been severely declining within the California schools. A recent study showed that within the past five years there has been a 50 percent decline in student participation in music programs. Additionally, it showed that one third of all music teachers have lost their jobs within that same time frame. The study predicts that music education will be eliminated from the California schools within the next ten years, unless dramatic changes occur. Music within the California schools system is at a critical juncture.
Singer Bonnie Raitt said, “It’s a shame we are depriving so many California children of the benefits of music in schools.” She stated that every child deserves the chance to develop their fullest with a well-rounded education, including the arts.