Why Music, Dance and Drama should be introduced in Rwandan schools

I was shocked to learn that in our universities and schools, not alotemphasis is put on music, dance and drama. Its as if we have no young people who are interested in pursuing a career in music or acting! Every society has young people who want to develop their talents; it’s wrong for an education system to think on behalf of the children and cut out what they think doesn’t suit them. As a matter of fact, school authorities should experiment by including these arts on the school syllabus and see if they won’t get an influx of students ready to pursue them. Its been proved that blue collar jobs are just an alternative and the real deal lies in exploiting ones talents. As a matter of fact, not until one has discovered the potential within them will one ever feel complete. Arts such as music and drama are areas in which a person can potentially have the joy of enjoying their talents while at the same time earning a salary. These subjects are first of all very marketable, more enjoyable than the stressful office careers and most importantly, they are more paying. Take a look at th e world, the much coveted musicians and actors are not people who sit behind a desk calculating net profits and gross tax accruements, No! They are people whose talents are inborn and all they needed was a helping hand to make them realize their potential. It has been proven that in Africa, the lack of creativity is looming everywhere like an annoying shadow. Parents have instilled in their children a wrong belief that if they don’t become lawyers or doctors, then they are failures. This is a crippled thought which doesn’t give children an opportunity to explore their talents—talents that could alternatively give them a bright future. It’s completely outdated to think that the only career option available for Rwanda children is studying subjects that will make them scientists or lawyers. Take for example; Miss Shanel and Tom Close; young as they are their musical talents are paying off well. They are already earning and shaping out their careers as musicians. This issue is not worth a debate! Music, dance and drama must be stamped onto the school curriculum as soon as tomorrow morning! If Rwandan students are tortured with European History lessons which are arguably almost irrelevant to African life today and denied the chance to learn music and drama, then there is a real cause for concern. It’s time for schools to revise their curriculum and set priorities. Ends