Arts education is being neglected according to a newly released report. The report also attributes low funding of public schools and limited access to arts education as part of the problems the field is experiencing.
Julie Hesmondhalgh, British actress and arts advocate, has called on government and policymakers to stop neglecting arts education in schools. She was reacting to a report that showed that there is little effort being made to advance art education in the UK. She also accused lawmakers of trying to limit access to arts and culture for the UK students.
There has been a long-held belief that arts are not carrier oriented subjects. Over the years, this belief has led to poor policymaking that has continued hurting students who are interested in accessing arts education. It has also resulted in a negative view of the subjects.
Hesmondhalgh said during an interview with the observer that such a belief is unfounded. She also challenged education stakeholders on why they are limiting access and questioned why learning arts should have a negative tag on it.
Arts education unsettling results
Durham Commission on Creativity and Education conducted the research on more than 1000 education stakeholders and found unsettling results. The data showed that there was inequality in how art education is delivered, especially to kids from lower backgrounds. It also showed that there was a growing cultural gap between young people which can be easily fixed through art schools.
The commission has also been at the forefront of calling for the integration of arts into the education system This would help in removing the long-held notion that art is a specialized education. Funding for art schools from poor backgrounds also dominated the talking points of the commission.
Hesmondhalgh stated that she was surprised about the division between the funding of private schools and public schools when it comes to art studies. She continued by saying,
Top private schools pour millions into arts teaching every year and the people who have been making these policies in government have seen and felt the massive advantages that can bring. It is not that I want to produce nothing but actors and performers in this country, it is that it makes all pupils more confident and articulate in the wider world.
The report also concluded by observing the timetables of both public and private schools. They found out that art classes, music, drama, dance, and design were neglected in public schools whereas there were genuine efforts from private schools.
This further proved the division between the quality of arts education being offered in these two types of institutions.
Lawmakers, therefore, were urged to consider looking into this matter by Hesmondhalgh. She argued that all kids should have the same opportunities because this will help them grow and be competitive in the future. She made these emphatic comments while receiving accolades for her role in Leeds Playhouse production of the play “There Are No Beginnings”.
