Policy Paper - Drama Improves Lisbon Key Competences in Education

2. Prestige of theatre and drama educators and of educational theatre
and drama in society
3. How could universities and schools support the work of theatre
and drama educators?
R e s u l t s
+ +/- -
Finland: Most of those
who know the content of
educational theatre and
drama greatly appreciate
it. Most people in Finland
cannot discern any
difference with educational
theatre and drama, and
amateur theatre; but
amateur theatres are very
popular.
Poland: Educational theatre
and drama is known as an
innovative tool for working
with groups - when people
know it comes from good
sources it is well respected.
Romania: Growing interest
for educational theatre and
drama, and the performing
arts in general, among
youngsters.
Croatia: Educational theatre and drama
is not well known among teachers, there
is growing prestige for it among those
who know about it. Croatian Centre for
Drama Education can issue the title “drama
pedagogue”.
Netherlands: People do not take it very
seriously, but since the late 90s drama has
been scheduled as a regular course in most
high schools, resulting in the drama teacher
becoming part of the regular staff with the
same prestige.
Palestine: Without experiencing educational
theatre and drama and knowing more
about it, the members of a society will not
understand or value it. But because of theatre
and drama initiatives respect for it in schools
is growing steadily.
Serbia: There is respect, but no existence of
essential knowledge and understanding of
the method.
Sweden: It has quite high prestige but there
are still many teachers who have a superficial
idea about educational theatre and drama,
and do not have the capacity to use theatre
and drama tools in their everyday practice.
Theatre and drama pedagogues meet
appreciation when invited to local schools,
but when budgets are cut, they are often
sacked.
United Kingdom: Theatre and drama not
a curriculum subject in its own right, but
valued by those who experience it. Effective
educational theatre and drama programmes
and organisations are recognised nationally
(and internationally as birthplace of TIE and
mantle of the expert), but in much of wider
society celebrity, ‘fame’ and ‘success’ have
more prestige.
Czech Republic: The prestige
of theatre in general is high,
but not of educational theatre
and drama.
France: Little prestige as
less than 1% of all secondary
students are exposed to such
theatre and drama education.
It is mostly an upper-middleclass
art, so is not really
present within the popular
culture.
Hungary: Teaching profession
in general has very low
prestige, and theatre and
drama pedagogues are
often not regarded as ‘real’
teachers, but as entertainers;
so their prestige, even among
teaching staff, and in culture
and broader society, is not very
high.
Norway: It is mostly looked on
as entertainment, to have fun.
It may be well spoken of but in
practice it is not as important
as the basic subjects.
Educational theatre and drama
is seen as a mismatch and has
little prestige in general.
Slovenia: Educational theatre
and drama pedagogues are
not widely known – they
usually work individually in
their classes.
Table 21. Prestige of theatre and drama educators and of educational theatre and drama in society
• Establish theatre and drama departments at all universities/teacher training
institutions, when needed, with the help of international experts
• Teach educational theatre and drama forms and methods in a way which would be
helpful for practising teachers
• Change the attitudes and interests of school board members and directors; strong
support gives good theatre and drama quality in the classroom
• Involve school managers, directors and teachers in the process of developing
educational theatre and drama
• Acknowledge theatre and drama as a proper subject in the curriculum with the same
status as music and visual arts, because the impact of theatre and drama depends
mainly on this
• Create room, time and money for educational theatre and drama; proper
infrastructural support is an important factor
• Understand the real educational significance of theatre and drama as a knowledgeand
competence-producing subject area; develop dialogue about methodology, arts,
education, didactics, pedagogy and philosophy that is largely absent at the moment
• Invite educational theatre and drama organisations to introduce educational theatre
and drama to schools in order to increase motivation and general well-being of
pupils and teachers
• Establish professional co-operation among school directors, theatre/drama teachers
and teachers of other subjects in schools
• Do not limit the work of theatre and drama pedagogues to
organising school events, because educational theatre
and drama should not be reduced to show-case
events or mere entertainment at festive
school occasions
• Send teachers to seminars and on
training courses in order to learn
to use some theatre and drama
elements in their regular school
work; in-service training should be
offered to practising theatre and
drama teachers
• Employ theatre and drama
teachers in schools for long-term
work instead of occasional projects;
every school should have at least one
theatre and drama specialist as part of the
R e s u l t s
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