The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

The issues1 Reasons for In the widespread discussions which have been taking placethe report about the school curriculum, the arts — dance, drama, music,visual arts, literature — have been given little attention. Themajor reports and statements from the Secretaries of State,from HMI and from the Schools Council, for one reason oranother, have included only brief references to them. We considerany neglect of the arts in education to be a seriousmatter. The arts have an essential place in the balancededucation of our children and young people. This is truewhatever the social and economic circumstances of the day.In our opening chapters we will argue the educational casefor this. We are mindful, however, that any contemporarydiscussion of education has to be set against the backgroundof three main issues. These give an added urgency to ourarguments:a the profound and long-term changes in the patterns ofemployment and of unemployment, especially amongyoung peopleb the changing relationships between education andsociety as a whole which must result from thise the rate of cultural change in BritainExisting levels of provision for the arts in education areactually being threatened due to:a the effects of falling schools rollsb cuts in public expendituree some of the demands of educational accountabilityThe case for the arts in schools does not amount to specialpleading. It derives from the need for a system of educationwhich takes account both of contemporary social circum-