Science learning is important, but arts moreso
I have always believed that learning performance and arts in school is important for developing social perceptions and identity, amongst other things, but requires good teaching that draws children out from their developmental solipsism. A recent study indicates that “even after controlling for age, race and education, we found that participation in the arts, especially as audience, predicted civic engagement, tolerance and altruism.” While no claim for causation is made, merely correlation (which is to say that culturally-imbued altruism could equally predict interest in arts), I am encouraged to continue to promote interest in arts by my young daughters as one way of expanding their suburban cultural horizon.
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