The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

164 For and It will be simplest if we state each argument (A) and offeragainst our response (R).special a (A) To take away or separate the most artisticallyprovision gifted from the general school population is to impoverishthe life of a school.(R) The general artistic life of a school should notdepend on the chance presence of exceptionally giftedchildren.b (A) To segregate the gifted child is to inhibit his or hergeneral education and ability to mix with others.(R) Experience suggests the contrary. Where childrenare doing what they most want to do and can seethemselves progressing, they are relieved of frustrationand conflict with their environment, gain in strengthand are able to launch themselves at other tasks withfresh confidence and enterprise.e (A) Really gifted people will get through anyway, orteach themselves.(R) This is true only of a very few cases. For the rest,lack of special help usually means wasted potential.In any case, this argument gives all the advantages tothe middle class and to those with the best educationalenvironments, thus compounding social inequalities.d (A) Selective schools or special classes are sociallydivisive.(R) There is no evidence to show this provided parentsaccept that selection is a genuine attempt to find aneducation best suited to their gifted child, and providedsuch selection does not imply or lead to less concern forthe less gifted.e (A) Special provision and special teaching take away thebest teachers from those who most need them.(R) In every country, particularly at secondary level,there is a shortage of highly qualified specialists, capablenot only of inspiring gifts and talents in the arts, but ofbut of teaching them at all. One solution to this problemis to make particular use of such teachers for the childrenwhom they alone can help. In any case, on what principleof psychology, education or morals could we regard itas right to ignore or frustrate the unusual talents ofsome children because other children do not showthem?165 Three To summarise, there are three reasons for concerning ourreasonsfor selves in some degree with gifts and talents in the arts. First,concern concern for artistic gifts and talents is a logical developmentof any general concern for the arts. Second, if this reporthelps towards a wider application of the arts in education,99