The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
life, two qualities in young people are becoming moreimportant: those of capability and adaptability.Academic values in school are over-valued when theydistract education from the practical world in whichyoung people live and must eventually make their way.Industry and commerce want those entering employmentto show powers of innovation, initiative and applicationin solving problems and pursuing opportunities.These are widely held to be pre-requisites for economichealth. For the growing numbers of those for whomconventional employment is ceasing to be an option,these powers may be more important. Creative thoughtand action should be fostered in all areas of education.In the arts they are central.e In the education of feeling and sensibilityNo sensible person would doubt the value of intellectualactivity and development. The danger lies inthe separation of this from other capabilities. MainstreamWestern philosophy since the 17th century hasheld that feelings and emotions disrupt the pursuit ofknowledge through the intellect and should be disregardedin education. Some have argued against thisthat the free expression of emotion is essential tohealthy development, and this is the value of the arts inschools. Both views divide intellect from emotion, thusneglecting the intimate relationships between them. Thearts are not outpourings of emotion. They are disciplinedforms of inquiry and expression through which toorganise feelings and ideas about experience. The needfor young people to do this, rather than just to give ventto emotions or to have them ignored, must be respondedto in schools. The arts provide the natural means for this.d In the exploration of valuesFeelings are intimately connected with values. Many, forexample, are considered as vices or virtues: lust, envy,hope, despair etc. The education of feeling is thus concernedwith moral issues and the exploration of values.A misleading slogan for a national newspaper claims"Times change, values don't'. On the contrary, changesin social values are among the ways in which the changingtimes are registered. An education which sets out tohelp young people make sense of and contribute to theworld in which they live, must be concerned withhelping them to investigate their own values and thoseof others. Artists are characteristically concerned withsuch things: with the evaluation and revaluation of the11
world around them.e In understanding cultural change and differencesThe arts are characteristic expressions of any cultureand evolve as part of it. In a multi-cultural society suchas ours, schools have important responsibilities withregard to cultural education. The arts are importanthere for two reasons. First, both the practice and thediscriminating enjoyment of the arts involve observation,analysis and evaluation of personal and social experience.Second, the products of the arts — plays, paintings,literature, music, dancing, sculpture and so on — areintegral parts of the social culture and are among thosethings children need to experience in coming to understandit.f In developing physical and perceptual skillsChildren need to be enabled, not only to have ideasabout the world, but to act in it. Natural abilities mustbe developed into practical skills. Work in the arts canlead to the development of a range of qualities and skillswith a wide application and value.For all these reasons we see encouraging children to work inthe arts and to appreciate the work of others as of equal andcentral importance in schools.8 The We are conscious that political interest has become focusedcurriculum on ways of cutting the cost of education while gearing itdebate more closely to economic needs. The present government hasgone further down this road than any other; but cuts inspending and more instrumental attitudes to education havebecome part of the policy of both major parties. Consequently,the past four years have seen numerous statements,reports, reviews and manifestos about the best route foreducation to take. What attitudes to the arts have emergedfrom these papers?12a The Green PaperAmong the first of recent statements was the Government'sCommand Paper (Green Paper), Education inSchools: A Consultative Document (HMSO, 1977).Although much attention is given there to 'the skills ofliteracy and numeracy, the building blocks of education',the document also speaks of the need for 'balance andbreadth in the curriculum for each child at school'(paras 2.13 and 2.23). Accordingly, there is an emphasison other aims of schooling, one of which is,
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life, two qualities <strong>in</strong> young people are becom<strong>in</strong>g moreimportant: those of capability and adaptability.Academic values <strong>in</strong> school are over-valued when theydistract education from the practical world <strong>in</strong> whichyoung people live and must eventually make their way.Industry and commerce want those enter<strong>in</strong>g employmentto show powers of <strong>in</strong>novation, <strong>in</strong>itiative and application<strong>in</strong> solv<strong>in</strong>g problems and pursu<strong>in</strong>g opportunities.<strong>The</strong>se are widely held to be pre-requisites for economichealth. For the grow<strong>in</strong>g numbers of those for whomconventional employment is ceas<strong>in</strong>g to be an option,these powers may be more important. Creative thoughtand action should be fostered <strong>in</strong> all areas of education.In the arts they are central.e In the education of feel<strong>in</strong>g and sensibilityNo sensible person would doubt the value of <strong>in</strong>tellectualactivity and development. <strong>The</strong> danger lies <strong>in</strong>the separation of this from other capabilities. Ma<strong>in</strong>streamWestern philosophy s<strong>in</strong>ce the 17th century hasheld that feel<strong>in</strong>gs and emotions disrupt the pursuit ofknowledge through the <strong>in</strong>tellect and should be disregarded<strong>in</strong> education. Some have argued aga<strong>in</strong>st thisthat the free expression of emotion is essential tohealthy development, and this is the value of the arts <strong>in</strong>schools. Both views divide <strong>in</strong>tellect from emotion, thusneglect<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>timate relationships between them. <strong>The</strong>arts are not outpour<strong>in</strong>gs of emotion. <strong>The</strong>y are discipl<strong>in</strong>edforms of <strong>in</strong>quiry and expression through which toorganise feel<strong>in</strong>gs and ideas about experience. <strong>The</strong> needfor young people to do this, rather than just to give ventto emotions or to have them ignored, must be respondedto <strong>in</strong> schools. <strong>The</strong> arts provide the natural means for this.d In the exploration of valuesFeel<strong>in</strong>gs are <strong>in</strong>timately connected with values. Many, forexample, are considered as vices or virtues: lust, envy,hope, despair etc. <strong>The</strong> education of feel<strong>in</strong>g is thus concernedwith moral issues and the exploration of values.A mislead<strong>in</strong>g slogan for a national newspaper claims"Times change, values don't'. On the contrary, changes<strong>in</strong> social values are among the ways <strong>in</strong> which the chang<strong>in</strong>gtimes are registered. An education which sets out tohelp young people make sense of and contribute to theworld <strong>in</strong> which they live, must be concerned withhelp<strong>in</strong>g them to <strong>in</strong>vestigate their own values and thoseof others. Artists are characteristically concerned withsuch th<strong>in</strong>gs: with the evaluation and revaluation of the11
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