Supporting the arts

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This article was published 13/06/2025 (187 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

We all have an intrinsic yearning to creatively express our individualism. For millennia, music and the arts have served as a vehicle to communicate elusive sentiments in ways conventional words are otherwise insufficient.

The state of music and arts education programs in our public schools remains precarious, however. For decades, music and arts educators have had to relentlessly advocate for the funding and vitality of their programs. And yet, seemingly little has changed in our post-pandemic school contexts.

As a public school music teacher myself, this is an issue particularly dear to my heart. Being introduced to the guitar via my middle-years school music program transformed my life, eventually inspiring me to become a public school educator. It is a tremendous honour and privilege to share the gift of music with Manitoba youth, empowering them with their own creative agencies.

It is perhaps axiomatic to state that learning via the arts is of fundamental importance, and yet educators repeatedly need to justify the very existence of such programs. The presence of arts programming in public schools has often materialized via the advocacy of public school teachers, students, and community members.

Such tireless efforts are certainly understandable, as learning the arts is of paramount value. Through music and the arts, youth are exposed to diverse intercultural practices and ways of knowing, cultivate empathetic and affective growth, develop foundational creative-thinking skills, and otherwise simply mature as humans.

In addition to supporting students’ cognitive and affective development, there is an abundance of research outlining the mental health benefits of routinely engaging in the arts via alleviating stress and contributing toward meaning-making.

The community-building qualities of school and community choir programs are similarly well-documented, as such interpersonal learning environments are highly conducive to team-work, cameraderie, and cultivating relationships.

Despite the myriad benefits provided by arts education, many programs continue to navigate ominous circumstances.

Broadly speaking, the United Nations continues to issue disconcerting warnings regarding looming international teacher shortages.

Unfortunately, music and arts educational programs are similarly affected. Music teachers were uniquely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as many programs were outright cancelled, while others were displaced as music rooms were co-opted to be repurposed for classroom instruction. As such, many music teachers were deferred to online instruction or travelling carts, while singing and playing wind instruments were strictly prohibited. These abrupt changes led to high rates of teacher burnout and student disengagement.

Although pandemic-related conditions may seem a distant memory for many of us keen on moving forward, its impacts still linger as many school programs continue to rebuild and grow following such uncertain circumstances.

In addition to these unsettling conditions, many schools across Canada and the United States are navigating budgetary restraints, further threatening the livelihood of integral arts educational programs.

Recently, Regina Public Schools announced that many of their school bands will be cut for the 2025-26 school year, consequently assigning band teachers to fulfil other positions.

The Toronto District School Board is following suit, as various miscellaneous music and arts programs are similarly being terminated to alleviate financial deficits.

Yet another example is in Vancouver, as several school districts within the metropolitan area have confirmed their consideration in cutting local music programs to mitigate escalating costs.

We are fortunate to be home to a diverse and vibrant community of arts educators in Manitoba. Many of our youth are able to creatively express themselves through the visual arts, theatre, bands and choirs, school guitar programs, fiddle, bhangra dance, tabla, musical theatre, among a plethora of other exceptional arts-based learning opportunities.

Unfortunately, many Manitoba schools struggle to recruit and/or retain qualified arts educators, a conundrum particularly exacerbated in rural communities. Consequently, many programs are inevitably threatened amid these ongoing staffing inadequacies and risk being discontinued.

We should cherish what we have established within our province and, for the benefit of our young people, adamantly safeguard its long-term preservation.

In sum, we should heed the warnings espoused from educators in our neighbouring provinces and take this proactive opportunity to reflect upon the immense contributions our music and arts educational programs offer our youth.

In an era of such uncertainty, our young people should be afforded the transformative learning experiences exclusively provided through music and the arts.

Jordan Laidlaw is a public school music teacher, union activist, and PhD candidate in educational administration.