It has long been debated whether art courses should be made a compulsory part of the curriculum at high school.

While some believe that it is unnecessary to include art classes as a mandatory subject, I hold the opposite point of view.

Admittedly, art classes may not be as important or practical as other subjects.

However, by focusing exclusively on the practical side of art classes, we risk losing sight of, or even distorting their underlying functions.

For instance, those who consider the art subject to be useless will underestimate its significance in relieving high school students of stressful academic studies.

Actually, art classes provide a distraction, allowing our students a break from their intense study and constant competition, and therefore help them to better focus on what they are learning.

Another benefit of requiring students to take art classes as a compulsory subject is that such classes help students to become more creative.

Art classes include a wide range of classes, for example painting and drawing, which would stimulate out-of-the-box thinking.

Unlike maths and science subjects, there is no one correct answer in art, which encourages every student to create his or her work in a unique, novel way.

Being innovative and creative is beneficial to problem-solving skills, and prepares students for their future study.