While I believe there is a case to be made for introducing young students to the arts as a way to help spark an appreciation for some of the cultural riches bequeathed to us, I do not believe schools should provide tax-funded traditional courses at the middle school and high school levels. The education system should be responsible for ensuring that graduates are literate, numerate, and prepared to join the workforce and more importantly, ready to contribute to democratic decisions with implications beyond their familiar environs. The education system should not be responsible for making sure that students have an appreciation for art, music, sports, cooking, or any other leisure activity. While I think that traditional, costlier courses in the fields in question should be dispensed with until all other academic necessities have been satisfied, I do think schools should provide a venue for students to pursue leisurely interests. Instead of employing full-time teachers for lesson-planned instruction though, they can employ qualified, vetted but uncertified teachers to guide students after school hours.
