The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
iv to instil respect for religious and moral values, andtolerance of other races, religions, and ways of lifev to help pupils to understand the world in whichthey live, and the inter-dependence of individuals,groups and nationsvi to help pupils to appreciate human achievementsand aspirations (DBS, 1981, p3)There is much to agree with here, as there is in all of thepapers we have mentioned. We find it all the more surprising,therefore, that the arts should have had such scant treatment.We believe that it would be a serious matter if this were tolead to low priorities being given to the arts in schools asdiscussions on the curriculum go on. It is against such a developmentthat we seek to mobilise, through this report, thestrongest resistance.9 Structure We have divided this report into ten chapters. In the firstof the three we discuss the contributions of the arts to education.report In the subsequent chapters we apply these arguments to thevarious issues we have raised here.In Chapter 1 we put the general case for providing for thearts in the curriculum. We argue that this is a matter bothof logical necessity, if the principle of general education isaccepted, and of moral necessity given the kind of educationwe want for our children. In Chapter 2 we look at the ideaof creativity as it applies to the arts. This idea has beengiven some priority by politicians and by employers. 8 Weargue that the nature of creative work is often misunderstood,that it has a central place not only in the arts butacross the whole curriculum and that promoting creativethought and action is a matter of the utmost educationalimportance. In Chapter 3 we look at a controversial area inarts teaching — the relationship between children practisingthe arts themselves and learning to appreciate the work ofothers. We develop our arguments here into a view of the artswithin cultural education. In Chapters 4 and 5 we considerthe problems and the requirements in providing for the artsin primary and secondary schools, including questions oftime, staff and facilities. Chapter 6 deals with the question ofaccountability. We identify the problems in current approachesto evaluation, assessment and examinations, and argue the casefor new approaches. Chapter 7 considers the roles of the artsin the education of children with special needs. In Chapter 8we outline and discuss initiatives in bringing together children,teachers and professional artists. We look at the principles involvedand at some of the practical difficulties. In Chapter9 we draw out some of the implications of our arguments15
10 The artsare notoptions11 Notwithoutprecedentfor education beyond the school. And in Chapter 10 wedraw together a number of practical recommendations forcourses of action.For the reasons which we elaborate throughout this reportwe are not prepared to concede that the arts can be optionson the curriculum which can, under pressures of time, spaceand resources, be dispensed with. We are convinced that theforms of creative thinking and doing which they represent arefundamental to the curriculum along with other key disciplines:no more than they, but certainly no less. We maintainthat the case we make for this is soundly-based. It makessense not only within the framework of education in all of itsforms but also with respect to the pragmatic and hard-headedrealities of the current economic and political climate.Some of these issues were the theme of a major conferenceover 20 years ago. 9 Even though they were the days of'You've never had it so good', many experts pointed to apre-occupation in educational thinking and planning thatworried them quite as much as the trends of the presentworry us. In an introductory address on Humanity, Technologyand Education^ Sir Herbert Read deplored the increasingspecialisation of education. He noted that:'In our own time that divisive process has been elaboratedand legalised into a rigid structure of vocational education.The ideal of education is no longer the development ofthe whole man ... it is an intensive search for special aptitudesand the development of a chosen aptitude into aparticular technique. We are told that our survival as anation depends on this partial and specialised form ofeducation . . . ' (Conference report, 1957, p7)The view of the conference was that an education systempre-occupied with vocational ends would lead to the distortionof human intelligence and personality, makingit lop-sided. Only through an education in all aspects ofhuman thinking and feeling — the artistic, the scientific,the historical and the rest — could we hope to have whatH J Blackham summed up as the ideal of general education.He concluded in words whose force is all the greatertoday:'We believe that neither the contribution of the arts togeneral education, nor the place of general education inthe national life has yet been properly recognised, and wewant to form a body of enlightened opinion drawn from16
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10 <strong>The</strong> artsare notoptions11 Notwithoutprecedentfor education beyond the school. And <strong>in</strong> Chapter 10 wedraw together a number of practical recommendations forcourses of action.For the reasons which we elaborate throughout this reportwe are not prepared to concede that the arts can be optionson the curriculum which can, under pressures of time, spaceand resources, be dispensed with. We are conv<strong>in</strong>ced that theforms of creative th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g and do<strong>in</strong>g which they represent arefundamental to the curriculum along with other key discipl<strong>in</strong>es:no more than they, but certa<strong>in</strong>ly no less. We ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>that the case we make for this is soundly-based. It makessense not only with<strong>in</strong> the framework of education <strong>in</strong> all of itsforms but also with respect to the pragmatic and hard-headedrealities of the current economic and political climate.Some of these issues were the theme of a major conferenceover 20 years ago. 9 Even though they were the days of'You've never had it so good', many experts po<strong>in</strong>ted to apre-occupation <strong>in</strong> educational th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g and plann<strong>in</strong>g thatworried them quite as much as the trends of the presentworry us. In an <strong>in</strong>troductory address on Humanity, Technologyand Education^ Sir Herbert Read deplored the <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gspecialisation of education. He noted that:'In our own time that divisive process has been elaboratedand legalised <strong>in</strong>to a rigid structure of vocational education.<strong>The</strong> ideal of education is no longer the development ofthe whole man ... it is an <strong>in</strong>tensive search for special aptitudesand the development of a chosen aptitude <strong>in</strong>to aparticular technique. We are told that our survival as anation depends on this partial and specialised form ofeducation . . . ' (Conference report, 1957, p7)<strong>The</strong> view of the conference was that an education systempre-occupied with vocational ends would lead to the distortionof human <strong>in</strong>telligence and personality, mak<strong>in</strong>git lop-sided. Only through an education <strong>in</strong> all aspects ofhuman th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g and feel<strong>in</strong>g — the artistic, the scientific,the historical and the rest — could we hope to have whatH J Blackham summed up as the ideal of general education.He concluded <strong>in</strong> words whose force is all the greatertoday:'We believe that neither the contribution of the arts togeneral education, nor the place of general education <strong>in</strong>the national life has yet been properly recognised, and wewant to form a body of enlightened op<strong>in</strong>ion drawn from16