Art Education in Schools?

Art education in schools. First one must ask themselves is there really such a thing. I had a mandatory art class once a week until the end of eighth grade. Now i can honestly say that almost 6 years later that I remember very little of it. Art education in high school, while being more instructive and rigorous, is completely optional. While I understand that it is and should be a freedom for a student to choose his studies I do believe that some arts should be required to graduate from high school. Much of high school life is consumed with left brained activities. To quote my art teacher that is only teaching half of your brain. I believe that high school as well as middle and grade school education should be more balanced in order to more evenly educate the students. It is the job and the responsibility of our education system to teach students to the best of its ability and without art education I do not believe this is possible.