Learning about art in school gives someone a more tangible understanding of history. By learning about specific artists or periods of art, a student can more fully understand what was happening in the historical climate in which the art was being produced. For example, by studying a variety of Italian artists during the Renaissance, a student can get better working knowledge of who was commissioning the art, what the religious and political climate of the time was and a variety of other historical facts from the time period.
Examining art gives the student a chance to learn how to critically think about something. Since most questions regarding a piece of art do not have a specific answer (unlike, say, a math question) the student is encouraged in many cases to come up with her own solution to a question. This process is a good way to practice and hone the student's critical thinking and can be used throughout the rest of the student's life.
One of the main features of art is the use of symbolism by artists in their work. However, before someone is able to understand what a lot of those symbols mean, they first must be taught how to read basic symbolism. After a student understands the basic types of symbolism and how the concept of symbols work (for example, the basic concept that the color red symbolizes passion), they can use that knowledge when reading or watching any number of artistic media, everything from movies to television shows to books.
By watching and studying art, a student's own creative impulses may begin to flow. By being exposed to a large number of creative thinkers, the students themselves may get inspired to be creative in their own ways, which can help them in their future profession. For example, instead of simply doing engineering or computer analysis work in one method, people who are creative or that have been inspired by art may create an entirely different way to do something that is more efficient than the previous method. This kind of creative thinking is a great attribute to have no matter the profession in which one is working.
Due to the fact that art has no real answer, certain art classes in school may promote debate among the students to provide various views as to what they think a certain piece of art is about and evidence to back it up. This kind of debate or discussion will help them learn how to debate any kind of subject, a skill that can come in handy no matter the occupation one chooses.