The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
in primary schools can develop a self-consciousness towardsexpressive work which can take a considerable time to overcomein secondary schools.96 The world Co-ordinating the secondary school curriculum is greatlyof the complicated by the specialisation of staff and departments.specialist Professional identities tend to be closely tied to subjectareas. The problem for the arts, as indeed for the rest of thecurriculum, is that teachers tend to see curriculum issueslargely, and sometimes exclusively, in terms of their ownspecialism — as the unique problems of music, drama and soon. When resources are limited or the talk is of cut-backs, theresult is often a balloon debate over which of the arts is mostimportant. What music gets, drama or dance is apt to lose andvice versa. This is one of the ways in which the case for, andthe value of, the arts becomes dissipated in practice.97 Time- Timetabling for the arts is often inappropriate, leading totabling: either fragmentation or too much integration. The artsfragment- curriculum can become fragmented in two ways. Music,ation drama, dance and visual arts are often timetabled, likeother 'subjects', in short periods of 30—40 minutes. Thiscan seriously reduce the quality of work. In drama, forexample, there is a good deal of practical group work. Unlikemany lessons, drama involves movement and physical activity.There is often no time in single periods for groups to developideas satisfactorily nor for individuals to make the transitionfrom other styles of learning.Expressive work in all of the arts takes concentration,application — and time. Short periods often prejudice goodwork. Moreover, the week-long gaps which are commonbetween lessons can mean that a large proportion of eachlesson is spent picking up the threads of the work in hand —and too little on moving it forward.The second form of fragmentation is between the arts.In Chapter 4 we discussed the opportunities which thearts present for inter-disciplinary work. This applies equallyat secondary level. These opportunities are too often lost inthe divisions of the timetable.98 Integrat- Some schools have sought to overcome these difficulties byion establishing faculties or departments of creative or expressivearts. We welcome this, in principle. There are two dangersin practice. First, it can lead simply to a larger enclave.The real value of integration is not only between the differentarts but also between the arts and the rest of the curriculum.The arts as a whole can easily become segregatedbehind faculty walls.63
Second, integration can mean many things includingsimply a loose assortment of disciplines administered tochildren in a general dose. Pupils need time to pursue thearts rigorously and according to their different disciplines.This is partly because the different arts do impose differentpatterns of work and require different skills. It is also becausedifferent children find different arts more compatible withtheir own ideas and abilities than others and will wanteventually to give more time to them.Just as fragmentation can destroy concentration andcontinuity, the abiding danger in integrated courses is insacrificing depth for variety.99 Space The arts require certain facilities, not only, as for exampleand with dance and music, to allow the work to be done at all,facilities but also to enhance the atmosphere in which it takes place.Laboratories not only provide the facilities for scientificwork, they provide a setting and a mood for it. Equally,the drama room, the art and music rooms facilitate expressivework partly through becoming associated with it. Specialistfacilities do not guarantee work of quality; but they canhelp greatly by raising pupils' expectations and intensifyingtheir concentration. The allocation of space and equipmentis largely, but not entirely, determined by what is available.Provision is also a function of status. In a secondary schoolin the North-West of England for example, the drama teacherworks, as many do, in the school hall. If it is needed for anyother purpose, she has to make way. Consequently, dramais often taken in cloakrooms or corridors — or not at all.The head teacher welcomes the prestige of the annual productionfor governors and parents, but he gives curriculumdrama no support from day-to-day. Drama is virtually suspendedfrom March to June each year when the hall isused for examinations. The problems of provision here arenot due to an actual lack of them, but to insensitivity towhat is needed. This is not an uncommon story.100 Attitudes Many of the problems in finding time, space and facilitiesfor the arts are in changing the attitudes which withold them.The key figure here, as elsewhere, is the head teacher. He orshe is naturally affected, however, by the views of governorsand parents. There can be a vicious circle here. Parents areless likely to see the value of the arts if the school only giveshalf-hearted support to them in the first place. Joan Freemanin a study of 'aesthetically gifted' children 2 found that, insome of her sample schools in Salford, there was 'a completeabsence of measurable talent'. However,64
- Page 29 and 30: world around them.e In understandin
- Page 31 and 32: ence essential to education? Why th
- Page 33 and 34: 10 The artsare notoptions11 Notwith
- Page 35 and 36: 1 Education, schooling and the arts
- Page 37 and 38: 15 The arts This is the ground on w
- Page 39 and 40: for certain forms of artistic activ
- Page 41 and 42: arts — is 'merely subjective" and
- Page 43 and 44: to and an understanding of certain
- Page 45 and 46: school curriculum fall into this se
- Page 47 and 48: one who is intelligent but who exhi
- Page 49 and 50: 38 Quality Quantity by itself is in
- Page 51 and 52: 43 Freedom Two further points must
- Page 53 and 54: 3 Arts education and the cultural h
- Page 55 and 56: universally valued archive of stabl
- Page 57 and 58: a helps pupils to understand cultur
- Page 59 and 60: Child: "They said it was a march, b
- Page 61 and 62: their cultural identity'. Haley's b
- Page 63 and 64: life and on perceptions and values
- Page 65 and 66: 4 Provision: the arts in primary sc
- Page 67 and 68: a What should be aimed at?b What pr
- Page 69 and 70: composition — Western and non-Wes
- Page 71 and 72: learning.' (Schools Council, 1981a,
- Page 73 and 74: performing arts — music, dance an
- Page 75 and 76: techniques and resources for workin
- Page 77 and 78: are thinking particularly of the ar
- Page 79: they will suffer disproportionately
- Page 83 and 84: arts have a substantial contributio
- Page 85 and 86: distributed equally and equitably a
- Page 87 and 88: art, craft, home economics, music a
- Page 89 and 90: FIGURE 2SHEPSHEDCOMMUNITYCOLLEGEope
- Page 91 and 92: in upper schools. Associated with t
- Page 93 and 94: 120 A Implicit in such proposals is
- Page 95 and 96: 78literature and put money and reso
- Page 97 and 98: 80outlined the sorts of provision t
- Page 99 and 100: used — are appropriate to the wor
- Page 101 and 102: 135 Respon- If education involves t
- Page 103 and 104: we look at, or participate in, visu
- Page 105 and 106: MotivationalChildren on examination
- Page 107 and 108: elevant help in compiling the profi
- Page 109 and 110: ible to some form of appropriate as
- Page 111 and 112: 94more in-service training provisio
- Page 113 and 114: 1%—2% of the school population
- Page 115 and 116: tuition under well qualified teache
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- Page 119 and 120: 102by professional musicians, many
- Page 121 and 122: frequencies and belongs to the Part
- Page 123 and 124: classroom teacher. Nevertheless, th
- Page 125 and 126: 'Within individual schools in certa
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- Page 129 and 130: We will first outline five main are
Second, <strong>in</strong>tegration can mean many th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>gsimply a loose assortment of discipl<strong>in</strong>es adm<strong>in</strong>istered tochildren <strong>in</strong> a general dose. Pupils need time to pursue thearts rigorously and accord<strong>in</strong>g to their different discipl<strong>in</strong>es.This is partly because the different arts do impose differentpatterns of work and require different skills. It is also becausedifferent children f<strong>in</strong>d different arts more compatible withtheir own ideas and abilities than others and will wanteventually to give more time to them.Just as fragmentation can destroy concentration andcont<strong>in</strong>uity, the abid<strong>in</strong>g danger <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>tegrated courses is <strong>in</strong>sacrific<strong>in</strong>g depth for variety.99 Space <strong>The</strong> arts require certa<strong>in</strong> facilities, not only, as for exampleand with dance and music, to allow the work to be done at all,facilities but also to enhance the atmosphere <strong>in</strong> which it takes place.Laboratories not only provide the facilities for scientificwork, they provide a sett<strong>in</strong>g and a mood for it. Equally,the drama room, the art and music rooms facilitate expressivework partly through becom<strong>in</strong>g associated with it. Specialistfacilities do not guarantee work of quality; but they canhelp greatly by rais<strong>in</strong>g pupils' expectations and <strong>in</strong>tensify<strong>in</strong>gtheir concentration. <strong>The</strong> allocation of space and equipmentis largely, but not entirely, determ<strong>in</strong>ed by what is available.Provision is also a function of status. In a secondary school<strong>in</strong> the North-West of England for example, the drama teacherworks, as many do, <strong>in</strong> the school hall. If it is needed for anyother purpose, she has to make way. Consequently, dramais often taken <strong>in</strong> cloakrooms or corridors — or not at all.<strong>The</strong> head teacher welcomes the prestige of the annual productionfor governors and parents, but he gives curriculumdrama no support from day-to-day. Drama is virtually suspendedfrom March to June each year when the hall isused for exam<strong>in</strong>ations. <strong>The</strong> problems of provision here arenot due to an actual lack of them, but to <strong>in</strong>sensitivity towhat is needed. This is not an uncommon story.100 Attitudes Many of the problems <strong>in</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g time, space and facilitiesfor the arts are <strong>in</strong> chang<strong>in</strong>g the attitudes which withold them.<strong>The</strong> key figure here, as elsewhere, is the head teacher. He orshe is naturally affected, however, by the views of governorsand parents. <strong>The</strong>re can be a vicious circle here. Parents areless likely to see the value of the arts if the school only giveshalf-hearted support to them <strong>in</strong> the first place. Joan Freeman<strong>in</strong> a study of 'aesthetically gifted' children 2 found that, <strong>in</strong>some of her sample schools <strong>in</strong> Salford, there was 'a completeabsence of measurable talent'. However,64
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