Just because art degrees do not lead to lucrative jobs is not enough justification to stop funding education programmes in the fine arts. Fine arts, music and drama foster the development of creativity, which in turn is a key ingredient of innovation. If we exclude art programs from the education of young people and deny them the chance to express themselves in ways that are unique and diverse, we will end up creating an environment that’s sterile and mundane - incapable of inspiring citizens to be creative, think different, and lead transformational lives.
Fine arts contribute to a holistic development of young people who may not end up with a degree in engineering but they will be better equipped to come up with new and out-of-the-box creative designs for a new structure. While economic pressures in today’s world burden young people with a utilitarian attitude towards higher education, we need to set our eyes on the future when the ability to be creative and think different is what will set people apart.
- The reader is an associate academic dean with the Higher Colleges of Technology
