Essay T2 -practice

Government investment in the arts, such as music and theatre, is a waste of money. Governments must invest this money in public services instead.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

One of the governments' responsibilities is to improve public services. In this regard, some argue that spending on the arts is totally useless and should be discouraged so that its supposed budget could go to public services. I personally believe that the arts should also receive its due attention from the governments.

No-one could deny that public services have direct and indirect impacts on people's quality of life. For example, hospitals help to improve the health of the societies. Schools play an important role to ensure our children receive proper education. Besides, public services are more crucial for the poor and lower classes of the society who are heavily dependent on these services. Therefore, spending more money for such services would definitely improve the overall quality of our life and also help the poor to go on living.

However, there are strong arguments for the existence of the arts. As a matter of fact, the arts have also an important impact on our life. They could be regarded as fuel for the soul of the societies. For instance, many people actually get great pleasure in watching performing and literary arts. Furthermore, many boring but valuable concepts could only be conveyed through the common form of arts such as stories, music, or movies. Besides, arts have provided many job opportunities for people around the globe. Many arts institutions would have to close if the governments did not assist them. Thus, the arts could not be simply neglected on behalf of public services.

In conclusion, there are clear benefits in improving the public services, and, on the other hand, in supporting the arts that provide entertainment and quality contents for people. Although I agree that public services should take priority over the arts, I maintain that the arts should also be a noteworthy subject to the governments' budget.

Thanks in advance