The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

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,