Policy Paper - Drama Improves Lisbon Key Competences in Education

The school system
Tertiary education
Recommendations
Objective: All children should have regular access to educational theatre and drama in
their schooling, mandated throughout the national curriculum, and taught by well-trained
theatre and drama specialists.
Tools:
• Primary school (age 4/6 - 11/14): educational theatre and drama should be realised
in the national curriculum
- as a learning medium across the curriculum
- as an art form in its own right.
• Lower secondary school (age 11/14 - 16): educational theatre and drama should be
realised in the national curriculum
- as a subject in its own right (minimum of 2 hours per week)
- as a learning medium across the curriculum.
• Upper secondary school (age 16-18/19): educational theatre and drama should be
realised in the national curriculum
- as a subject in its own right (minimum of 2 hours per week)
- as a learning medium across the curriculum
- as a university entrance qualification course.
• Supplementary to the subject area’s mandatory place in national curricula, all
children should have the opportunity to experience encounters with Theatre in
Education programmes and visiting theatre artists, financially supported by local /
national authorities.
• Teachers already working in schools should have access to in-service training in
educational theatre and drama. Teachers should become familiar with educational
theatre and drama, in order to embed it into everyday school life, to be used and
reflected on across the curriculum not just in specialised theatre and drama lessons.
• Kindergarten/nursery teachers/leaders should have a basic, mandatory training in
educational theatre and drama.
It is interesting to note that in two of the countries ranging highest on the PISA score list
– Canada and Finland – the first has drama incorporated alongside the other arts in their
schools, and in Finland (currently revising their national curriculum) it is recommended
by the curriculum committee to implement a status for drama on a par with music and the
visual arts. Also, in Australia, which is currently designing a new national curriculum, all
the arts have the same status in the curriculum.
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We had to promise to the experimental classes that we will continue to do
workshops after the necessary break for the outcome questionnaires, and we
had to promise to control classes that we will visit and do workshops with them
as well, some time later during the school year.
Andjelija Jocic, drama pedagogue, about the High School for Pharmacy
and Physiotherapy, Belgrade, Serbia
Objective: All teachers working in European
schools should have a basic knowledge of what
educational theatre and drama is and how the
subject area can contribute to the enhancement
of teaching and learning. It is very important to
emphasise that educational theatre and drama
cannot be taught without proper training.
Tools:
• Student teachers should have an obligatory
introductory course in educational theatre and
drama as a tool for teaching and learning in their
teacher training (a minimum of 5 ECTS 70 ). The diverse
applications of educational theatre and drama should be taught to all teachers.
• Competence in using educational theatre and drama as a method in teacher training
should be integrated in the teaching of other subjects; for example in pedagogy,
language studies, social science and history.
• Training of sufficient theatre and drama teachers to enable children and young
people to have regular access to educational theatre and drama taught by
specialists throughout their school education. Educational theatre and drama
should be offered as in-depth studies in tertiary institutions in all European counties.
Example of possible levels: 30 ECTS, 60 ECTS, bachelor degree level, master
degree level, doctoral degree level.
• Students and artists with a degree in theatre studies/performing arts studies should
have a course component in educational theatre and drama in order to obtain an
educational theatre and drama teacher’s qualification (minimum 30 ECTS).
• Both qualitative and quantitative research investigating the effectiveness of
educational theatre and drama should be conducted in order to help theatre and
drama teachers and other practitioners to develop better and better programmes.
Funding, legislation, communication and partnerships
Objective: Sound financial and legal foundations for educational theatre and drama
should be established. Strong and positive communications and partnerships are needed.
Tools:
• The legal basis for the above-mentioned ideal circumstances for the school system
and tertiary education should be established.
ECTS: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. Further reading: http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelonglearning-policy/doc48_en.htm
Recommendations
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