Do you remember any field trips you have had during your school days? That is if you ever had one of course! It is no secret that school trips are not very popular in the Kingdom especially if you study in a state school.

However, I do remember a couple of my fieldtrips back then. All took place during my intermediate school years. I have a vague memory of visiting a zoo once during my elementary school days, but I am not sure! The trips that I do remember were a visit to a perfume manufacturing factory and a visit to the Jeddah Center for Science and Technology, may it rest in peace, It has been closed for so many years now!

The reason these memories were rushing back to me was a study I stumbled upon recently. The study concludes that a one hour trip to an art museum can increase students’ empathy, tolerance and critical thinking.

The study was conducted in the United States on over 10,000 students. In short, the researchers randomly assigned a number of participating schools to visit a museum, and then demographically matched the students who visited the museums with those who did not. The tour of any museum was designed to be an hour long, where students were guided to view and discuss five paintings.

Then, students were tested for empathy and tolerance, and they were also asked to write about a painting they have not seen before.

The analysis of the results showed that the students who visited the museums demonstrated better critical abilities, greater empathy and tolerance toward people with different views (the study is available online if you are interested; search the web for “The Educational Value of Field Trips.”)

All this ... because of a single visit to a museum!

The effects of art on one’s life are undeniable. The way in which a good piece of music, a beautiful photo, or a dazzling painting, shifts your mood from one state to another is enough evidence of how art can reshape us from within.

Therefore, it is truly sad to admit that arts continue to remain absent from our social life. No museums, no music halls, no theaters, no photography or painting galleries, they are scarce or only available to the elite. The problem is not only that we do not have the art infrastructure; we do not even have the art culture. The ability to appreciate art, understand it, and relate to it, is not always a gift, it needs guidance and education. Let me give an example, Saudis are known for their vacationing all over the globe, for instance, reports say that there were more than 700,000 Saudis who visited Dubai in the first half of 2013; out of those, how many, you think, had had any culture-related experience like visiting a museum, or attending a classical music concert? You are getting my point now I hope.

There is another important finding that we could conclude from the study; school trips are vital to the development of students’ minds and personalities. It is not a luxury, or should it only focus on the play and pleasure, it is a part of the educational system. “Schools exist not only to provide economically useful skills in numeracy and literacy, but also to produce civilized young men and women who would appreciate the arts and culture,” the study said.

Let’s introduce arts to our education. Instead of asking students to draw a flower, or the sun, for generations, in what we are calling art classes, let’s develop a curriculum that introduces art to the students. Topics such as the classical schools of paintings, famous works of arts, and how art interacts with the history of mankind and civilizations are all important topics that could spark students’ interest in the subject. And along with that, let’s consider more investments in culture. The next time someone applies for a permit to build yet another mall, let’s persuade him to

invest in a museum, or a science exhibition.

@ smaldosari