Reply #53: Sure, they could do that

[Charlie Brown]

but it's very hard to keep 2nd/3rd graders interested in anything, let alone subjects they would probably find boring like music/art. I imagine the teachers just want something that will keep them occupied until the other students return, which the coloring accomplishes (these are young children, after all). Under these circumstances, I can't really fault the school for refraining from an alternative course of study.