For children, art develops listening skills, concentration and consideration for others.

Learning artistic techniques, movements, and works, as well as practicing art, can significantly develop listening skills, concentration, and consideration for others. These remarks are from Cizanga Mbayabu, a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa. According to him, art also plays a significant role in fostering openness, developing a child’s imagination, intellect, and emotional intelligence. “Art is essential for personal and social development, helping to strengthen a child’s sense of rhythm. Learning artistic techniques, movements, and works, as well as practicing them, significantly develops listening skills, concentration, and consideration for others. This concept must be taught in school,” said Mr. Cizanga Mbayabu. The educator notes that arts education should, in any case, be taught from the moment a child enters the school system. “It is an entire culture that must be taught at the preschool, primary, and secondary levels, potentially by teaching students personal hygiene, an appreciation for colors, environmental cleanliness, and the importance of appearance,” he emphasized. In the Congolese education system, art is introduced in preschool through drawing lessons, which foster open-mindedness and an appreciation for aesthetics. Art is an activity, the product of that activity, or the idea we form of it, which deliberately appeals to the senses, emotions, intuitions, and intellect. It encompasses human creations intended to touch the senses and emotions of the public. This can include painting, sculpture, video, photography, drawing, literature, music, dance, and many others. As a reminder, every year on April 15, humanity celebrates World Art Day. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, however, this day remains largely overlooked, especially in schools. And yet, its proclamation by UNESCO in 2019 aimed to promote the development, dissemination, and enjoyment of art. Paulin Ngenda