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The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

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Foreword by the Chairman of the Inquiry<strong>The</strong> <strong>Calouste</strong> <strong>Gulbenkian</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong>, Lisbon, operates three programmes<strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom through its United K<strong>in</strong>gdom Branch. <strong>The</strong>se cover thearts, education and social welfare. With<strong>in</strong> each programme are carefullydef<strong>in</strong>ed priorities set out and expla<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> the Branch's annual report. <strong>The</strong>priorities vary from time to time but provide a framework for the <strong>Foundation</strong>'stw<strong>in</strong> functions of respond<strong>in</strong>g to applications and launch<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>itiativeson its own behalf.<strong>The</strong>se functions require the officers of the Branch to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> contactwith a wide range of op<strong>in</strong>ion — from <strong>in</strong>dividual artists and social activists toelected representatives <strong>in</strong> central and local government, M<strong>in</strong>isters and othernational leaders.At one such meet<strong>in</strong>g, early <strong>in</strong> 1977, Peter Newsam, Education Officer ofthe Inner London Education Authority, and I were discuss<strong>in</strong>g the publicdebate on education, particularly references to a core curriculum and arecurrent emphasis on the three Rs. <strong>The</strong>se seemed to exclude, not only thearts, but also some of the pr<strong>in</strong>ciples upon which the idea of a general educationhad been developed <strong>in</strong> Brita<strong>in</strong> s<strong>in</strong>ce the Education Act of 1944. If ourassessment was correct, these public discussions would have profoundimplications for all education. Both of us saw the arts as a test case <strong>in</strong> thisrespect. We agreed that it was important to pursue these issues, but only ifsuch an <strong>in</strong>quiry were undertaken by an <strong>in</strong>dependent body. We had <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>da review of the national situation, draw<strong>in</strong>g on the experience and viewsof an advisory committee represent<strong>in</strong>g a cross-section of educational <strong>in</strong>terestsand responsibility.<strong>The</strong> Board of the <strong>Calouste</strong> <strong>Gulbenkian</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> <strong>in</strong> Lisbon approvedthe <strong>in</strong>itiation of the Inquiry and the Advisory Committee first met <strong>in</strong> September1978. Early <strong>in</strong> 1979, whilst work<strong>in</strong>g on the first draft of the report,the significance of our work seemed to be chang<strong>in</strong>g under pressure of economiesalready <strong>in</strong>troduced by the Labour Government. We appo<strong>in</strong>teda draft<strong>in</strong>g committee to assess the changes: Dr. Ken Rob<strong>in</strong>son, ProfessorDavid Asp<strong>in</strong> and Professor John Allen jo<strong>in</strong>ed Nicholas Usherwood and me.By early 1980 the effects of the Conservative Government's educationalpolicies began to be revealed as more far-reach<strong>in</strong>g than at first thought. <strong>The</strong>IX

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