I think that there are different purposes in art education (my thoughts here)
1) learning to be creative through material use, problem-solving, out of the box thinking, story-telling, abstraction, etc.
2) learning to be playful, messy, to tolerate ambiguity, to be spontaneous at times and grossly detailed and planned at other times.
3) learning to express oneself visually, to make emotions concrete, to render ambiguity and complexity, and to more deeply tap into oneself.
4) learning to create a visually appealing product using technique and the basic principles of design.
By a certain age, most kids (and adults) get tripped up on the last goal...attempting to make the perfect product - and often miss the real gem of art in the process. I would be sure to include lessons that emphasize the creative experience and not just the product. Most of us won't need to render perfect perspective in our work: but tolerating chaos, expressing ourselves succinctly, thinking outside the box, self-insight, and taking on a new perspective on something is valued for sure.
