Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce

The Future of the Arts in Schools

Author(s): KEN ROBINSON
Source: RSA Journal, Vol. 138, No. 5408 (July 1990), pp. 531-541
Published by: Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
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 The Future of the Arts in Schools

DR KEN ROBINSON
Professor of Arts Education, University of Warwick,
Director, National Foundation for Arts Education
Delivered to the Society on Wednesday 28 February 1990,
with Peter Brinson, Member of the Council of the Society,
in the Chair

THECHAIRMAN: Thepersonin thiscountry probably ourCommittee. He endedup draftingwhatbecamean

doingmostto bringtogether twoaspects oftheSociety's immensely influentialreportbytheGulbenkian
work,theartsandeducation, is KenRobinson. We first Foundation calledTheArtsinSchools.It waspublished in
metin 1975in Aberystwyth at a youngpeople'stheatre 1982andwe supported itbya oneyearfollow-up
conference.He at thattimewasa member oftheSchools programme whichtookKenandmearoundthecountry
CouncilDramaproject andI wasrunning theGulbenkian talkingabouttheArtsin Schools.Thiswasfollowed bya
Foundation. I wasdeeplyimpressed bythecontribution furtherenterprise bydiscussions
calledArtsExpress, with
whichhe madeto thatconference. In 1977the thesuccessors to theSchoolsCouncil,particularlythe
Foundation decidedto respond to thedebateon education SchoolCurriculum Development Committee, and
whichhadbeenlaunched bythePrimeMinister, James eventuallybya three-year studywhichexplored thearts
Callaghan. Thatdebateindicated an important shift
of ineducation ina wholerangeoflocalauthorities. That
emphasisineducation frompreparation forlifeto the studyis aboutto be published. Fromall this,meanwhile,
narrowerconcept ofpreparation forwork.We beganto cametheinitiative byWarwick to appoint
University its
ourselves
address to thisquestion, challengingthevalidity secondProfessor ofArtsEducation,a newChairwhich
ofthatshift.I remembered thisyoungmanwhohad ProfessorKenRobinson nowholds.He alsodirectsa new
impressed mea greatdealandwe beganto askhishelp, calledThe NationalFoundation
initiative forArts
ofall inbackground
first research, thenas a member of Education alongside duties.
hisprofessorial

We meetat a particularly difficulttimeforthe arts, Let me beginwitha summary.I am committed to

whenthereare manyseriousobstaclesto themainte-
nance,letalone thefuturedevelopment, of theartsin
schools.I am all too consciousof the problemsof
prediction.Giventhecurrent tumultin EasternEurope
thatfewof us could have predicteda yearago, I am
wary of saying what the futuremight hold for
education.I am conscious,too,thatthereis nota single
futurefortheartsin schools.Whattranspires willvary
betweendifferent institutions
and partsof thecountry.
The artswillflourish in someschoolsin future, just as
theywill certainly witherin others.
Nevertheless, there
aresomegeneraltrends.I was listening to theweather
forecastlast nighton Radio 4. The man readingthe
4
weatherbeganby saying,as he oftendoes, Now for
the detail,I'll startwith the whole of Englandand
Wales'. I planto do thesame.
the view thatthe arts,all of the arts,are essentialto
the qualityof educationas a whole. A balancedand
coherentartseducationis notan optionin schools:itis
a necessarypartof a balancedand coherenteducation.
Whentheartsare threatened in schools,thequalityof
educationas a wholeis threatened. My deepconcernis
thattheessentialrolesoftheartsin schoolsaretoo little
appreciated.As a result,provisionfor the arts in
particular,and therefore of educationin general,is
generally unbalanced and incoherent.
The 1982 Gulbenkianreport,The Artsin Schools ,
was written in responsetoJamesCallaghan'sspeechat
RuskinCollege in 1976,in whichhe set out to raise
fundamental questionsaboutthepurposesand content
ofeducation.The mainissuewas whetheror notthere
shouldbe a corecurriculum forall childrenat school.

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 PROCEEDINGS

WhenJamesCallaghanfirstmade thissuggestionhe
was vilifiedby almost all sectorsof politicaland
professional opinionin education.Interestingly, by the
timeofthe1987electioncampaignall themajorparties
werearguingaboutwho had thoughtof thisidea first.
Few peoplewould now contestthevalueof a national
curriculum.The argumentis no longer about the
principlebutabout structure and content.
PeterBrinson'sdecisionto initiatethe Gulbenkian
Artsin Schoolsinquirywas a recognition thatfewif
anyofthemanyresponses to theRuskinspeechwould
include anythingof substanceabout the arts in
education.He was right.Mostdidnotmentionthearts
at all. The keynoteof the Great Debate was how
educationcouldbe relatedmoredirectly to theneedsof
the economy,especiallyin termsof technicaland
vocationaltraining.NothingI have to saycontradicts
the importanceof theseconcernsin education.The
argumentfortheartsis not setagainstthearguments
fortechnical and vocationaleducation.The problemis
thatmanypeopleseemto thinkitis. We publishedThe
ArtsinSchoolsreportbecauseofa prevalent trendin the
politicalarguments in education which threatened-
and stilldoes - to minimizethe place of the artsin
schools.
Consequently, our firstaim was simplyto put the
artsbackintothedebate.In doingso we wantedto put
thecasefortheartsas clearlyand simplyas possible:to
say not merelythatthe artswere additionalareasof
concern,butthattheystoodat thecentreofa new and
Dr KenRobinson
urgentagendaforeducation.I wantto summarize here
why the arts matter so much in educationand thenlook
at some of theproblemsthatlie ahead.
I was senton a management courserecently(about resistancethatneed to be addressedin promotingthe
whicha greatdeal more mightbe said, thoughnot artsin schools.
now). I did gain somethingof value therein being
introduced to theidea of a SWOT analysis:thatis,an FORMSOF RESISTANCE
analysis of the strengths,weaknesses, opportunities and
threats in a givensituation. Thereareseveralofeachof The first
oftheseis academicism.
I meanbythistheview
thesefortheartsin schools,whichI will look at in a thatschoolsexistprincipally,
perhapsonly,to promote
moment.Buttherearesomepervasiveproblemswhich academicachievement. By academicI meanabilityin
seta generalcontext.Thesearethesameproblemsthat logico-deductive reasoningand propositionalknow-
promptedthelaunchof theEducationforCapability ledge.These abilities
havestood at theheart
ofWestern
campaignat theRSA. They are ideologicalproblems: philosophy,scienceand technologyfor over three
thatistheyconcernbasicattitudes andassumptions. Itis hundredyearsand are of immenseimportance.The
raretofindpeoplewho explicitly oppose arts education argument forartseducationis notsetagainstacademic
forreasonstheycan clearlyarticulate. Itis moreoftena education.The problemliesin academicismin which
matterof tacitresistance.There are threeformsof academicabilityin particularis equatedwithintellec-

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 THE FUTUREOF THE ARTSIN SCHOOLS

tualabilityin general.On thisview,'able*children are kidneytrouble- inisolationfromthecontextinwhich

thosewithacademicabilitiesand thosewithoutthem it occurs- lifestyle,dietaryhabitsand so on. So in
are by definition 'lessable' The 1944 EducationAct, education, the response to youth unemployment
whichdid so muchto extendtherangeand raisethe tendedto be theintroduction of coursesthatspecifi-
quality of education, also institutionalized this fallacy. cally, often exclusively, emphasized technical skillsand
It identifiedthreetypesof children:the academic, vocationalqualifications. On this view the arts only
practicaland the technical.In practice,thesebecame matter, iftheymatteratall,to pupilslookingforjobs in
dividedinto two types:the academicand the non- them.This approachcan ignoreissuesof motivation,
academic.Thereis somesenseofcoursein recognizing self confidenceand sense of purpose,all of which
thatthereare academicand non-academicchildren. profoundly affect youngpeople'seducationalachieve-
The problemis theequationofthesewithable and less mentandsubsequent fortunes. As withmedicine, many
able childrenas a whole. problemsineducationcannotbe solved,andshouldnot
As one example,The GCE Level systemwas be addressed, in isolationfromtheircontext.
4
designedto identify the top twentyper centof the Finally,there is an ideological problem in the
whole abilityrange*.This was good news forthem, assumed dichotomybetweenartsand sciences.You
howeverdefined,but not for the eightyper cent may all remember beingcategorized at schoolas either
majoritywho by the same definition were failed. In an artist or scientist. This perniciousdichotomyis
practice, many of them left school disaffected with the beginningslowly to dissolve. JohnTomlinson,in his
wholebusinessand lookedback on theireducationas inaugural address to the Society as Chairman,talkedof
a literalwaste of time. The preoccupationwith a a 'paradigmshift'in Westernthinking. Thereis a good
of theschool has been roundly and deal ofevidence in support of this view, intheworkof,
minority population
Kuhn Michael
justifiablycriticizedon many grounds from this forexample,Thomas (1970), Polanyi
The underlying problem, as I see it,was that (1969), and Karl Popper (1969). All of thesehave
platform.
all pupils at school were judged againsta single, lookedat thenatureofscientific enquiryand thestatus
of scientific It is also evidentin studiesof
narrowlyconceivedmeasureof ability. knowledge.
There are two deficiencies in academicism. First, creativity and the extent to which thesameprocesses
thereis an inherentfailureto distinguish adequately are evident in scientific enquiry and artisticproduction.
betweendifferent of within each indi- This dichotomy is breaking down but it has been
types ability
vidual:evenhighlyacademicchildenoftenhaveother persistent and influential in shapingeducationalpolicy
intellectualabilitieswhichare neglectedby thispre- and provision.
occupation.Second,it failsto distinguish adequately In framing theGulbenkian reportandintheworkof
betweendifferent typesandlevelsofabilityin different the Arts in Schools project, viewwas thattherewas
our
individuals.Childrenwho are not obviously espe- or little point arguingfor the arts withoutaddressing
even in thesepointsoftacitresistance. I shouldliketo
ciallyacademicmaybe extremely able, gifted, explicitly
otherrealms of intellectual The result in both summarize briefly the arguments we do present.
ability.
casesis thatmanychildrenleave schoolwithabilities Tryingto give an accountof theartsis verydifficult.
thereis a temptation to opt forsimple
undevelopedbecause the school has not looked for Consequently
themandthechildren themselves neverevensuspected maximsand singleslogans: example,the artsare
for
theirexistence. concernedwithexpressing emotions,or withleisure.
A secondideologicalproblemis vocationalism. This This has been a common argumentlatterlyon the
is the assumptionthat children to school to be grounds that long-term structural unemployment will
go
for that to them after- create the need for more leisure activitiesand thisis
prepared something happens
wards:thateducationis a preparation foreventsthat whytheartsmatter.I findthiscynical.Wherepeople
takeplacebeyondtheage ofsixteen.Clearly,education have less work to do, theymay have more leisure:
isinsomesensea preparation forlaterlife.The problem wheretheyhaveno workto do, theyhaveunemploy-
in vocationalism is thatit leadsto whatthosewithan ment.This is verydifferent frombeingleisured.We
interestin holisticmedicinecall theseptic focus. This is should resist this association of art and leisurefor
thetendency in
witnessed gooda deal of conventional another reason: that it suggests that the arts are
- who
westernmedicineto look at a problem a bad back, undemandingand purelyrelaxational.Anyone

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 PROCEEDINGS

has been seriouslyinvolvedin the artsknowsto the essentiallymathematicalconceptions.Equally, there

contrary thattheycanbe engagingat thehighestlevels are essentially musicalconceptions,essentially visual
of intellectual
discipline. conceptions.When we come to make senseof our
The associationof theartsand emotionscan also be experience and to actin theworld,we do so withall of
misconstrued as meaningthattheyareonlyto do with our capacities,and not just in termsof words and
the emotionsand are therefore non-intellectual.This logical propositions.A full blooded educationwill
suggests,and it hasbeen commonlyargued, that there wantto recognizethis.
are two main strandsin children'sdevelopment,the A balancedand coherentartseducationdoes not
intellectual
andtheemotional,thatacademiceducation obstructacademicachievement. Head teacherssome-
is principally
concernedwithintellectualdevelopment times say that they would encourage more arts
and the arts addressemotions.This view does not activitiesin schoolsbutthattheydo nothavethetime,
correspondwithactualexperienceof thearts. givenotherpressures. On thecontrary, reportsfrom
Her Majesty'sInspectorate and othershaverepeatedly
PRINCIPAL ROLESOF THE ARTS foundthatwherechildrenare engagedin developing
thewide rangeof theirabilities,thereis an enriching
Whenwe cameto look at suchissuesin theGulbenkian effect on theirperformance throughout thecurriculum.
report we identified six principal rolesof the arts in There is an increasein their self-confidenceand self-
schools.All relatecloselyto the centralinterests of esteemfromthe experienceof positiveachievement
contemporary education.They are intimately related rather thanoffailure- fromdiscovering whattheycan
and togethermay give some impressionof the do ratherthanwhattheycannotdo.
spectrum ofintereststhata sustained artseducationcan I was involvedin drafting a chapteron educationin
help to address. thereportof theAttenborough inquiryinto TheArts
In thefirstplace,artseducationis concernedwith andDisabledPeople.In it we arguedtherethatsociety
thedevelopmentof intelligence. The artsare not the takessucha broadviewofdisability becauseithassuch
invention oftheArtsCouncil.Theyoccurirrepressibly a narrowview of ability.If we can broaden our
inall cultures andsocieties indifferentguisesandforms. conceptionof ability,our senseof disability beginsto
This firstargumentis a counterto academicism. diminish.There is now a vigorousmovementin
Certainlywe have the capacityfor deductiveand disabilityculture.Many of those who have been
inductivereasonandforpropositional knowledge.But sensorily, physicallyor mentallyimpairedby illness,
we haveall sortsofotherintellectual capacitiesas well, accidentor at birthhavebegunto asserttheirpositive
someof whichareexemplified in artistic
activity.The identities throughartisticactivities.This is one illus-
person who conceived and executed the paintings on trationthatthe artsare notjust leisureactivitiesbut
thesewallsdidnotdo so becausehehadtroubleputting potentways in whichwe describeand elaborateour
theseperceptionsinto words. These are not visual senseof individualand culturalidentity.
compensations forverbaldeficiencies. Visualartistsare Our firstargumentthenis fora broaderview of
exercisingvisual intelligence, conceivingand repre- intellectual ability.The secondargument followson. It
sentingideasand perceptions in visualterms.Similarly is thatthehumanmindis essentially creativeandthatit
in music,we arenotlookingforsomeauralequivalent is a centraltaskof educationto
developthiscapacity.
of sentencesor mathematical propositions. Thereare The artshavekeyrolesin doingso. Creativity is notan
ideasandinsights thatareavailableto thecomposerand occasional,exoticcapacityofthehumanmind.Human
the musicianwhich cannot be renderedin verbal intelligence is essentiallycreative.Its businessis the
language:ideas forwhichthereare no words.This is creationofmeaning.We makesenseoftheworldquite
notonlytrueof theartsof course. We seetheworldas we do becauseoftheideas
literally.
Mathematics is not onlya way of addressing issues andvaluesatourdisposal.Manyofourperceptions and
thatwe can alreadyrecognize.Once we haveaccessto attitudesare acquiredfromtheculturesto whichwe
systems of mathematical understanding, we can begin belong. These frameworks of perceptionmay vary
to formulate ideasand insights thatwithoutmathema- profoundlybetweenculturesand over time. In this
tics are literallyinconceivable.There is no way of sense,ourknowledgeoftheworldis Even
provisional.
thinking of suchideaswithoutmathematics. Theyare sciencedoes notrepresent an oasisof certainfactbuta
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 THE FUTUREOF THE ARTSIN SCHOOLS

seriesof approximations whichevolve and changeas in theexploration oftheperceptions andideasinwhich

they aretested and refuted in the flow of new ideas and they are implicated, and in the creation of formsin
experiences. Educationcan inhibitcreativeabilitiesor whichfeelings canbe adequatelyexpressed. The artsare
encouragethem. important in bothrespects. They can providewaysof
One ofthekeythemesofEducationforCapabilityis exploringand shapingideasand feelingsand simulta-
thatschoolsshouldnot be sendingout childrenwho neouslyofgenerating appropriate formsofexpression.
havebeennarrowly trained to meetnineteenth-centuryIt followsfromtherelationship of theartsand feelings
demandsof massproduction.We need youngpeople andoffeelings withvaluesthatinvolvement in thearts
who canadaptto change,who havea senseofinitiative always draws in questionsof value: of artisticand
and innovation,who can participate in creativepro- aestheticvalue,and of personaland socialvalues.The
cesses.To do thiswe needto involvethemin creative EducationReformAct has givena prominent, statu-
processesas an inherentand regularpart of their toryplace to valuesin education.
education.If we are concernedwithcreativethought Thesearejust someof therolestheartscan fulfil in
and actionin schools,we shouldpromote them on all education givenappropriate provision. In the view of
fronts.All areas of humanactivityand thoughtare the Artsin Schools project,appropriateprovisionis
availableforcreativeaction.Science,mathematics and basedon threeprinciples of balance.Most artseduca-
are
technology extraordinarily creative enterprises and tion in schools is unbalanced in one or moreof these
they should be taught as such. The arts are quintessen- respects.
tiallycreativein all respects. The firstis thatthe artsshould have comparable
The artsareofcoursedeeplyconcerned withfeelings statusand provisionwith othermajor areas of the
andemotions, and thisis ourthirdstrandofargument. curriculumincludingsciencesand humanities.The
A greatdeal can be saidaboutthisaspectof thearts.I nationalcurriculum sensiblyidentifies scienceas partof
want here to focusonly on a division that is often every child'seducation. It does not specifychemistry,
assumed between emotion and intellect.There is physicsand biology.This formulation recognizesthat
sometimes an assumption thattheway to helpyoung there are common characteristics in all scientific
peopleto makesenseoftheirfeelings is simplyto allow activitiesthatjustifytheirbeingtreatedas a genericpart
themto expressthem.Therewas duringthe1960sand of the curriculumratherthanas a seriesof separate
1970sa view of the artswhichequatedindividuality subjects.The National CurriculumWorkingGroup
withcreativeself-expression. On thisview, children (DES, 1988a)hasdevelopeda mapofscienceeducation
were to be encouragedto expresstheirown feelings withinwhichindividualspecialists canlocatetheirown
and ideas as freelyas possible.The argument I have contributions. The artsshould be seen similarlyas a
beendeveloping here is different:that the artsshould be genericpart of the curriculum. At present,art and
seenin a contextofculturaleducation.Airingpersonal music are identifiedas separatefoundationsubjects.
Dance and dramaandsubsumedrespectively underPE
thoughtsand ideas is not necessarilyeducativeor
in itself
because many of the feelings we have and English. However, the national curriculum is not
liberating
arerootedin ideaswe accumulatefromtheculture.In the whole curriculum, and schoolscontinueto have
thissense,personalselfexpression maybe of 'ideaswe discretion to organizetimetables and teachingin their
have inherited and emotionswe have been taught to own ways. The publications the Artsin Schools
of
feel'(Polanyi1969). project(Arts in Schools Project,1990) will be urging
are forms of If
perception. you were to say them to take a more balanced view.
Feelings
to someonethata thirdpartyhasdiedor is aboutto get Second, there should be balance between the
married,you could not guaranteea stockresponseof teachingof different disciplines. Ideasand perceptions
at thenewswilldepend areavailableto the musician that are notavailableinthe
griefor delight.Theirfeelings
on theirrelationship withtheotherperson.Feelingsare sameways to the dancer or to the visual artist.Ifschools
sense are concerned to the full of children s
partof our perceptionof events,and are in a develop range
evaluative. Feelings about events depend on the intelligence,they should provideequally for work in
individual'srelationshipto the event. Feelingsare thefivemainmodesofartistic understanding: theaural,
transitive: have From these of view, visual,verbal, kinaesthetic and enactive. Finally,there
they objects. points
own creative
thereis considerable scopefortheeducationof feeling, shouldbe a balancebetweenchildren's

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 PROCEEDINGS

practicein theartsand theircriticalunderstandingof authorityis necessaryto support such initiatives

the work of otherpeople. Part of the task of arts centrallyand to providethe infrastructure. A recent
educationis to develop children'sconceptualunder- televisionprogramme in theSignalsserieson Channel
standingof theartsand an appropriate vocabularyto Fourlookedat someoftheimmediatedangersthisnew
enablethemto engagewithactualworks.It is also to provisionposesformusiceducationin schools.
developtheircontextualunderstanding of thecircum- In future,income forlocal authorities will come
stancesand conventionswithinwhich different art fromthreesources:50 per centfromcentralgovern-
formsand workshave been generated. ment,25 percentfromthecommunity charge,and25
percentfromtheuniform businessratewhichis setby
AREASOF CONCERN the Government.So local authorities will have less
controlover how muchmoneytheycan raiseand in
Thesearedesirable principlesofprovision.Whatmight some authoritiesthis will be considerably less than
thefuture holdin practice?Let me turnto our SWOT undertheratingsystem.UnderLMS, 75 percentofthe
analysis.Therearesomereasonsto be optimistic about overallLEA budgetforschoolswillbe devolvedto the
thefuture oftheartsin schoolsandan equal numberto schoolsthemselves. The LEA willkeep15 percentfor
be concerned.I'll startwiththethreats. The firstis the mandatoryserviceslike inspectorsand school buses.
nationalcurriculum.From one point of view the The authority is thenleftwith10 percent(whichmust
nationalcurriculum may be thebestnews for long shrinkto 7 percentwithinthreeyears)whichtheycan
time. Our best hope in publishingthe Gulbenkian eithergive to schools or retain.This discretionary
reportin 1982was thattheartswould becomepartof moneypaysforsuchthingsas schoolmealsand special
the statutory of
requirement every child'seducation. unitsfordisabledchildren.It also paysfortheschools
The nationalcurriculum hastakenus halfwaythereby instrumental service.The fearis thatwithlessmoney
identifying art and musicas foundation There
subjects. coming in it is thesediscretionaryservicesthatwill be
aretwo majorproblems.The firstis thatthisstructure cutor made availableonlyto thosethatcan pay. The
doesnotgivedue prominence to othermajorartforms musicadviserforDoncastercommentsthat,
in theWestern/European tradition,notablydanceand
drama.The second is thatit does not providein a 'If Doncasterwas forcedto introduce charging, and
sensitive for art forms outside this heavenforbid,it goesagainsteverything we believe
sufficiently way
tradition thatdo notfallintothesecategories.In some in, I think the effectswould be catastrophic.
culturesthesedivisionsbetweenart,music,dramaand Everything we believein in termsof musicforall
so on simplydo not apply.It is forthisreasonthatI would evaporate.Itwouldbe musicforthelitefew
who would pay forit. Our heartswouldn'tbe in it.
urgedearliertheneed to providefordifferent modesof
artistic , ratherthanto build a curriculumon At the moment we reacheverybody.If you look
practice
ideasaboutspecificartforms. through the bands andorchestras you'llseekidswith
The nationalcurriculumis only part of the new shorthair,earrings. You'll seebeautifullyturnedout
A second which in due kidsin a different sense, but theyall mix together.
legislation. threat, mayprove
courseto be moresignificant, is Local Managementof Social strataevaporate.We believe thatmusicis
Schools (LMS). Under thisnew system,in place of therefor everybodyno matterwhat theirsocial,
schoolsbudgetsbeingcontrolledcentrally environmental background mightbe. The factthata
by thelocal not be able
themajorityof thebudgetwillbe devolved parent may to afford
itdoesn'tcomeinto
authority,
to the schoolsthemselves.It may be that thisnew it.The factthata parentmaynotseetheimportance
of musicis immaterial. Ifa childwishesto learnand
provisionwill benefitthearts.Schoolswitha strong
commitment to artseducationmaychooseto putmore showsa commitment, we feelthatchildshouldhave
resources intothem.ItseemsmorelikelythatLMS will thelessons.'
lead to a rundownofsomekeyareasofartseducation. The
Some aspectsof provision- for example, working dangersof chargingare emphasizedby parents
interviewed in thefilm.One fathersaysof hisson:
with artists,specialistteachingas in the peripatetic
musicsystem- are too expensiveto be supportedby 'At thattime when he startedplaying,we'd got
individualschools. The strategicrole of the local three childrenat school and we couldn't have
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 THE FUTUREOF THE ARTSIN SCHOOLS

affordedit. An instrument
like our Steve playsis 'I'm notsureI wouldhaveputherforward formusic
abouttwelvehundredpounds.' lessons.We're not a musicalfamilyso I wouldn't
have realisedshe'd got such potentialunlessshe'd
Anothercomments:
startedplayingat school.'
'Andrew came home fromschool when he was
thirteensaying, "They've . given me a musical THE OPPORTUNITIES
instrumentto play". I thoughtit was goingto be a
recorderorsomething likethat.He camehomewith The nationalcurriculum and LMS aremajorthreats to
a euphonium.They showed him how to play it. the futureof the artsin schools.But thereare some
Withinthreeweeks he was producingtunes.He opportunities. The nationalcurriculum is one ofthem.
moved in to the local brassband, went on to the The Secretaryof State'sworkinggroupsforartand
tromboneand he's gone fromstrength to strength. music are about to meet. The PhysicalEducation
Had itnotbeenforthefactthathe gotthepossibility Group will be consideringdance. We have useful
oftakingup thatinstrument fromschool,all of that guidelinesfromtheCox committeeon dramawithin
could have beenlost.' Englishteaching.The National CurriculumCouncil
has recentlyestablisheda Drama Task Group. The
AngelaRumbold,Ministerof StateforEducation,was and guidelines ofthesevariouscommittees will
interviewedfor the programmeand seemedlargely reports
unconcerned: be pivotal.
Thereare weaknesses, too, in our current situation.
'A largenumberofourschoolsarenottoo badlyoff Not all of the
problemswe faceare fromoutsidethe
whenit comes to havingaccessto enoughinstru- fieldof artseducation.Thereis a divisiveness between
mentsto enablethemto play prettycomprehensi- in different disciplines.These divisions need
specialists
velyat concertsand so on withintheirschools.So I to be overcomeifthepracticeoftheartsinschoolsis to
wouldn'tbe too quickto condemnwhatwe havein moveforwardcoherently. Levelsofteachertraining in
ourschoolsystemat thepresent time... I wouldbe theartsare almostdisastrous. The nationalpictureis
verydisappointedto hearof authorities thatwere in termsbothofthenumberofcourses
verydepressing
notcontinuing to providesupportforwhatI thinkis available in the artsand of the time and resources
prettyflourishing acrossthecountry,thatis to say availableto them.
extra-mural, extra-school activities involvingmusic. In 1986 the National FoundationforEducational
Most of theauthorities thatI've come acrosshave Researchpublisheda reporton the artsin the initial
veryflourishing Saturdayor out-of-school provi- training ofprimary schoolteachers (CleaveS andSharp
sion,forthetalentedkidswho are interested.' C, 1986). It showed that fewer than halfthestudents
Yet one ofthecountry's mostvigorousprogrammes of qualifying to teachin primary schools at theendoffour
in
musiceducation, Manchester, is in imminent danger yearstraining had had separate compulsory coursesin
ofcollapsedue to thecombinedeffects ofLMS and the music,dance,dramaand art.Suchcourseswherethey
did existweresometimes risible- lastingin somecases
poll tax. The musicadviserconcludes:
onlyeighthourseach. Ifsuch courseswereproposedin
'The shortfall in the authoritythatI servewould scienceor mathematics, therewould be a justifiable
requirethatvirtually allofitsdiscretionary provision senseofscandal.In thearts,theseinjustices areroutine.
would have to be cut out. In orderto meet the As it is, thenew of the Education Reform
provisions
budgettherewould be some areas of mandatory Act are imposing additionalpressureson teacher
provisionwherethelevelsofworkwouldhaveto be educationin respectof science.The effect of thesein
depressed. There are serious considerations about someinstitutions is to reduceeven further the meagre
whetherto closethemusicservicedownaltogether, levelsof
provisionforthearts.It is hardto seehow arts
thewhole lot.' educationof anyqualitycan be takenforwardin such
The Minister's confidence seems to be misjudgedhere circumstances, whenwe simplydo nothavethetrained
at least. So, too, does her assumption that music and motivated teachersto do it.
educationis really for the 'talentedfew who are Thereare some important strengths in thecurrent
In thewordsof one workingclassparent: situation.There is a considerablestrength
interested'. of profes-

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JOURNAL, 537

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 PROCEEDINGS

sionaland parentalfeelingin the countryabout the in schoolsand local authoritiesand to provideappro-

importance of thekindof educationthattheartscan priatein servicetraining.
help provide.Itis too oftensaidthatparentswillnot
to AlreadytheFoundationhasbegunto attract encour-
acceptthissortof work.When thevalueof theartsis aging levels of supportfrom local authorityand
made clearto themfortheirchildren,thesupportof individualsubscriptions.We believethattheFounda-
very many parentsis assured.The parentsin the tion has a fundamental role to play in meetingthe
Channel4 filmwerein no doubtabouttheimportance existingchallengesfor thearts,as I haveoutlinedthem.
oftheartsfortheirchildren. Manylocalauthorities are Ithas,too,an important rolein meetingthechallenges,
also convinced.The Arts in Schools project was whichI have not discussedtoday,of thenew Europe
establishedin 1985 because a majorityof LEAs now and beyond1992,and theimmensepossibilities
respondedto the School CurriculumDevelopment in this new context of culturalprogrammesand
Committeein 1984to conveytheirsupportfora major exchangesin education.
arts initiative.A growing number of professional
educators recognize the essential,complementary ROLESOF THE RSA
importanceof the arts in a broad, balanced and
coherenteducation. What of the roles of the Societyin respectof arts
I mentionedthehistorical divisiveness betweenarts education? Thereareat leastthree.First,I hopethatthe
This
specialists. is to
beginning change. The wholeArts Society will want to comment in detail on the
in SchoolsProjectwas conductedon thebasisof co- consultativereports of the National Curriculum
operationbetweenspecialistsin different disciplines. WorkingGroupson art,musicand physicaleducation
This is also a growingrapportbetweenprofessional whentheyarepublishedlaterthisyearbytheSecretary
artistsand educators.Almostall artsfundingagencies of State.The Society'scommentswould be greatly
now have educationprogrammesand officers, as do valuedand influential. Second,I hope theSocietywill
many arts and
companies organizations. Over the last encourage debate within theartscommunity: between
tenyearsparticularly therehave been sustainedinitia- arts educatorsin different disciplines,between edu-
tivesinvolvingartistsworkingin schools,theatrein catorsand professional andbetweenthevarious
artists,
education,writers'residencies and so on. Tragically, sectorsof the culturalindustries. Third,I hope the
many of these initiativesare threatenednow by Societywillencouragecontactanddebatebetweenthe
LMS. arts and othermajor professional communities:for
Thereis a growingrecognition of thegeneralsocial example,betweenthe artsand industry.Many out-
and economicimportanceof the artsin Britain.A standingartsschemesare now fundedby industrial
recentreportfromthePolicyStudiesInstitute (Myers- sponsors.The Societyis uniquelyplacedto providea
cough,J: 1988)analysedwhataresometimes calledthe forumforsuchdebate.
'culturalindustries',includingmusicandbook publish- This is theRoyal Societyfortheencouragement of
ing as well as galleries,artscentresand otherperfor- Arts,Manufacturesand Commerce and it is well
mancevenues.The PSI estimatedtheannualturnover named forsome of the urgenttasksthatneed to be
of theculturalindustries at 10 billions.The recogni- carriedout. CharlesHandyandJohnTomlinsonhave
tionof theeconomicpowerof theartsmayyetprove botharguedthattheSocietyshouldfocuson 'workin
persuasivewhereotherarguments have failed. all of itsaspects,in education,and in thedevelopment
Thereare strengths to setalongsidetheweaknesses, ofhumanpotential'.Educationin theartshaskeyroles
and opportunities to setwiththethreats. The nextfive in fulfilling each of theseinterests. If the artsever
years will tell how the balance of these forcesis mattered forthemselves and fortheirvivifying effects
resolved.There is, however,an immediateneed for on allotherareasofhumancultureandendeavour, they
practicalaction.As one step,I havebeeninvolvedwith matternow morethanever.
othersin settingup theNationalFoundationforArts
REFERENCES
Education,now basedat theUniversity of Warwick.
This is a practicaldevelopmentagency to create Arts
inSchools Team,
Project TheArts
1990, Oliver
5-16, andBoyd.
networksof supportwithinartseducation,to make SirRichard,
Attenborough, TheArts
1984, andDisabled : Report
People of
the
Committee under
ofInquiry the ofSirRichard
chairmanship Attenborough,
availableinformation and resources, to stimulate work Bedford Press.
Square
538 RSA
JOURNAL.
JULY1990

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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 THE FUTUREOF THE ARTSIN SCHOOLS

Calouste
Gulbenkian
Foundation, TheArts
1982, inSchools:
Principles, Kuhn,T.S.,1970,
TheStructure Revolutions,
ofScientific Chicago
Practice
andProvision,
Gulbenkian London.
Foundation, Press.
University
S.and
Cleave, Sharpe, The
C.,1986, Arts:
A toTeach,
Preparation TheEconomic
J.,1988,
Myerscough, ofthe
Importance inBritain,
Arts
National
Foundation
for Research.
Educational Studies
Policy Institute.
Department andScience
ofEducation andtheWelshOffice,
1988, M.,1969,
Polanyi, Personal
Knowledge, & Kegan
Routledge Paul.
Science
for 5-16,
ages HMSO. K.,1969,
Popper, Conjectures TheGrowth
andRefutations: ofScientific
Department andtheWelsh
andScience
ofEducation Office,
1989, Knowledge,
Routledge Paul.
& Kegan
English
forages HMSO.
5-16,

DISCUSSION
THECHAIRMAN: Listening to KenRobinson, I was He hadbeena fairly indifferent
silversmith butwhenhe
struck
particularly by three points. the
First, absence of got hishands on this material
it seems he was simply
theartsfromeducation is a fatalimpoverishment of illuminated byit.For15 yearsor morehe wastransported
education. Second,theartsarenotan alternative in through hisworkin thismaterial andhe produced some
education butarecomplementary to otherareasof ofthemostexquisite piecesofporcelain evermadein this
education andthird,therearealwaysmanykindsof country. After15yearsheseemedto haveburnt outthat
andcreative
abilities individual people.Thisis theessential particularstrandand went back to be a indifferent
fairly
reasonfora proper balancein thearts.Ifyouomitthe silversmith.Now thepointis thathadhenotgotholdof
artsyouareshort-changing all ofthosewhoareentering thematerial hewouldneverhavediscovered hisown
andpassing throughthe educational process.So in a sense creativecapabilityin thematerial.This aspectofhisown
whatwe needto lookat is notjstwhoelseis goingto andability
intelligence wouldhavelainundiscovered and
do something aboutthisbutwhattheSocietycando I thinkin manycasesthisprovesto be thecase.
aboutit. Somebody whois precociously gifted on an instrumentis
notnecessarilyequallygifted withpaintor as a danceror
in mathematics or viceversa.Thispresents a formidable
G.M.E.WILLIAMS (Chairman, governing body,City
problem formeasuring becauseyoufirst
creativity haveto
LiteraryInstitute):I am notoneofthosewhohasjoined
findthearenain whichcreativity is releasedor
in therepeated slandersofBritish British
education.
education butitis voidin oneareawhichis
is first-class engendered.
basicto industry,technology, artandscience.Ourart
education doesnotdeveloptastein therising generation
ANNEEVANS (DeputyHead,Melbourn VillageCollege,
as itshould. Cambridgeshire): Lookingbackat whatKenRobinson
saidaboutthreeideological issues, academicism, thearts
versus thesciencesandvocationalism, as a dramateacher I
ERNEST HALL(FellowoftheSociety): I havehearditsaid knowwe fought academicism andwe won.We
against
thatin future intelligencewillbe measured bythe fought andwonthebattleoftheartsversus scienceand
measurement ofcreativity.Whatis youropinionon this for15 yearstheArtsin Schoolsproject andartsinschools
andon thepossibility ofthemeasurement ofcreativity by in general haveflourished.We alsotookon boardTVEI
themeasurement ofpersonality? (Technical andVocational Education Initiative).Butwhat
thenational curriculum hasdonehasmadeeverything
THELECTURER: We havea section in theGulbenkian muchmoreprescriptive so thatthere justis notroomin
Report, The Arts inSchools, 'Creativityand the whole the timetablefor the arts.Parents are saying, responding
curriculum'. Therearereferences thereto someattempts to themedia,'we wantourchildren to havemore
to measure creativity.We wereanxiousthatitwas vocationalism,moretechnical education' andifsomething
implied in some of these measures and tests that creativity has to go thenI am afraid it is seen to be thearts.Angela
wasthesameas novelty andthat,therefore, onewayof Rumboldmadea veryinteresting comment on thevideo
measuring creativity was to ask peoplehow many Ken Robinson showed us. She said we must encourage
differentthings theymight do with a brick. We were also these 'extra-muralactivities'.The artsare being
worried bythesuggestion thatcreativity is a general marginalized intobecoming 'after fouro'clock'activities.
that is eitherpresent or absentwhen it seems that Parents who recognize their value but seelittletimetable
faculty
is to certainsortsofactivities which acknowledgement may be prepared to arrange transport
creativityspecific
varybetween individuals. forchildren to staylaterat school.Thereis a realdanger
LiamHudsongivesan exampleofa silversmith in thatthiswillundermine theentitlement curriculum,
Portsmouth whowasamongthefirst to getholdof creating a newsystem ofhavesandhavenotsinrelation
porcelain whenitbeganto be imported intothiscountry. to thearts.

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 PROCEEDINGS

DR..EVERARD (Member oftheSteering Committee of we havenowproduced themostcomplicatedsystem of

NAVET,NationalAssociation forValuesin Education assessmentthatmankind devise,andI
couldpossibly
andTraining):Thringsaidthat'The teacheris an artificer shouldliketo knowhowthatassessment
process canbe
ofthemind'.Whyshouldeducation in theartsnotbe appliedto thearts.
usedto shapevaluesrather
thanjustto 'explore'them?
MARIGOLD COLEMAN (Controller, and
Projects
GAVIN ALEXANDER (formerlyHeadmaster,
Hampton Communications,RSA): How doestherelationship
School):I agreeabouttheeffects
ofthenational betweentheartsandeducationin thiscountry
compare
curriculum.Dramahasalready beenmarginalized
andthe withanysimilar in Europe?Is thereanything
relationships
NationalCurriculum Councilhasnowrecommended that we canborrowandlearnfromEuropean ofa
experience
artshouldbe subsumed undertechnologyin thesame national forinstance?
curriculum,
wayas homeeconomics.
JOAN SALLIS (ChairofActionforGovernors' Information
ESSEXHUGHES-HUGHES (FellowoftheSociety):
Geniusis andTraining): In replyto thespeakerwhosaidyoucan't
a shynymph. Searchforherandyouwillneverfindher. thrustgeniusontopeople,manychildren willnever
Waitforherandshewillcometo you.The pointis you discoverthattheyhavetalent unlesstheyhaveaccessto
havegotto findtimeforarteducation,
notthrustitupon musicalinstruments, drama,or artmaterials through
people.Letthemfindtheirownway. schools.The decision makers shouldalsorealizethatarts
ineducation arenotonlyaboutfinding anddeveloping
JOHN TAGGART (Actor/Teacher, Theatre In Education, talentto a highlevelofperformance, or enabling
people
Mulberry School, London El): Theatre in Education to enjoytheirfreetime,butabouteverychildhavingthe
companies arereallyunderattackin threedirections. experience ofthediscipline andself-control,
the
Schoolsoperating underLMS maynowsimply say'we understanding ofselfandtheworld,whicha proper
cannotaffordthecompany' especially because education education in theartscanbring.
companies oftenworkwithonlya fewchildren.
Secondly,theruleshavechanged so thatifyouwantto JOHN LEVITT(FellowoftheSocietyandChairman of
takechildrenoutoftheschoolon a theatre trip,be itto a Governors,WestwoodHighSchool,Leek,Staffs.):
Does
TheatreIn Education company or to a larger theSocietyhavea suitable
sub-committee
to lookat these
ifsomeofthemcannotpaythenthewhole
organization, matters
urgently?
tripmustbe cancelled.Third,thetaxsystem foractors
willchangefromAprilwhichwillmeanthatactorswill AMEMBER OFTHEAUDIENCE: How do youseewhatthe
haveto be on thePAYE andnotSchedule D. In other children
achievein theartsbeingcalculated
whenitis
words,theywillno longerbe regarded as self-employed to evaluate
possible onlytheskillstheyachieveandnot
andwillstandto losetwenty-five percentoftheir theartistic
or musicaleducationthattheyarereceiving?
incomeswhicharealready extremely small.Actorson
contracts
forTheatre In Education companies will THELECTURER: Assessment is reallythehuboftheissue.
immediatelyfinditimpossible to workin thatvery Myownviewis thatartshouldhaveattainment targets
importantareabecausetheywillbe taking homewagesof alongwithotherpartsofthenational curriculum. I accept
under.100a week. whatJohnSwallowsaysthattheremaybe a counter
argument thatwe shouldnothaveanysuchthingforany
THECHAIRMAN: Thelastpointwillapplyto all arts andperhaps
subject no national curriculum butsincewe
peopletouring, includingthosein thedanceworld. havegota nationalcurriculum withattainment targets it
Another sideissueis thatthepolltaxmaypushup hotel seemsto be importantthattheartsshouldbe partofthe
chargesandrents, making itverydifficultfortouring sameformula. You couldarguethatitis notfeasible to
companies to findaccommodation. haveattainmenttargetsin theartsbutI think itis no
moredifficult
to drawup attainment targetsforthearts
JOHN SWALLOW (NationalAssociationofHeadTeachers): thanithasprovedto be formathematics, science, English
I am an implacable opponent ofthenational curriculum andtechnology. The viewthatall scientific and
becauseI believethatitis beingbrought intotheBritish mathematicalactivities
lendthemselves to quantitative
education system notfortherightreasons, whichwould assessment
wouldbe deniedinstantly byanymathematics
be forthefulldevelopment ofeducation to meetpeople's teacher
or scientist.
How do youassessscientific insights,
needs,butsimply fromthestandpoint oflookingat scientific Theissuesareverysimilar,
creativity? so I think
youngpeopleas wealthcreating units.It seemsto methat we shouldpursueit.
inprescribing a nationalcurriculumfromthatstandpoint In myexperience, therearemanyheadteachers who
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 THE FUTUREOF THEARTSIN SCHOOLS

wouldalsoacknowledge lackofclarity incertain areasof I woulddistinguish generallybetween creative and

thework.Ifyouaska randomsection ofprimary school technical aspects of making and say that in terms of
headteachers whatshouldchildren be ableto do in the appraising we woulddistinguish between critical and
arts,veryoftentheywon'tknow.Thereis oftena contextual aspects. Of those fourareas - creative,
benevolent attitude towards artsactivities butnotmany technical, critical,contextual - thetechnical and
demands aremade.You willveryoftenfindchildren at contextual present rather conventional problems of
theageofnineor tendoingworkinvisualartsor music assessment. They concern what youngpeople do and
can
ofwhichtheywerequitecapablethreeor fouryears whattheyknowin thearts.It is in thecreative and
earlier becausethereis notanyrealsenseofprogression. criticalareasthatparticular problems arisebecauseyouare
Yetitis undeniable to anybody whopractises theartsthat dealingherewithquestions ofindividual sensibility. AllI
theartsarethings thatyougetbetter at.Thekeyquestion cansayis thatifwe beginto recognize thatartistic and
is to identify whatgetting better at themmeans.Ifwe aestheticjudgements havean objective component we are
tackletheissueofattainment targets, we willhavea on thewayto beingableto makesomesenseofthe
helpful wayto be ableto separate outwhatgetting better matter. By objective I do notmeanthekindofobjectivity
at itmeans. nineteenth century scientiststookforgranted. Theview
In theworkoftheproject to be published in Marchwe ofobjectivity whichis gaining currency is thatan
havemadean attempt to identify a number ofissues.On objective judgement is onewhichrefers to evidence and,
theonehand,itis possible to distinguish between making in thesecondplace,brings forward criteria to support the
theartsandappraising thearts.Partofwhatwe would judgement. Anyintelligent criticdoesboth.Ifwe are
wantforall children is theexperience ofmaking music, interested ina critic's viewofa WestEndplay,we don't
doing dance, writingpoetry, making drama, butI think wantto knowsimply ifheor shelikesitor not.We want
inmanyschoolstheemphasis is almostexclusively on to knowwhattheysawin itandon whatbasistheyare
making. Fromthepointofviewofthecultural interests making theirjudgement. The relationship ofcriticism to
andthequestions ofvaluesandtasteraised, itseems artistic
practice is oneofobjective dialogue.
equallyimportant thatwe shouldfacilitate children's I agreethatthereis a strong needforus to moveinto
criticalengagement withotherpeople'swork.We should thefieldofeducating tasteandvaluebutI wouldstop
develop their towards
sensibilities otherpeople'sworkand shortofinculcating or promoting particular sortsof
we wouldalsoencourage theacquisition ofknowledge of values.To do so wouldbe to makepolitical judgements
thecontext in whichdifferent worksaremade. andwe wouldall as individuals makedifferent ones.
A fifteen-year-old in Hackney seeingan Impressionist However, theareais legitimate foreducational activity
painting is notseeingthesamepainting as a bourgeois andI think itwillbe supported witha framework of
gentleman of Parisin the nineteenth century. Whatwe see attainment targets.My fearis thatifwe do nothavesuch
ina workofartdepends a verygreatdealon thevalues a framework, thentheartswillbe leftwithout a
andtheframework ofperceptions thatwe bringto it. supportive structure. Already teacher training institutions,
Thatis why,as Raymond Williams putsit,artists are inresponse to thenewcriteria oftheCouncilfor
theirancestors. Ifyoulookat our Accreditation ofTeacherEducation courses, haveto have
constantly reselecting
current perception oftheRenaissance, we tendto put 100hoursofscience. Artslecturers arealready getting
Michelangelo at thecentre. Victorians tendedto put memoranda saying, forexample, thatsincedramais not
fordifferent reasons. So I would in thenational curriculum, thesecourses can
Raphaelat thecentre presumably
wantto seeartseducation giving weight to intelligent go to makeroomforextrascience.
appraisal ofotherpeople'swork,related to critical
judgement andcontextual knowledge. It seemsto me THECHAIRMAN: On thepoint'WhatcantheSocietydo?',
scandalous thatmanyadultscanseeno faultinbeingable theSocietyis a think-tank.It drawstogetherall shadesof
tolookat thework,ofsay,Mondrian andsay'Well,I opinionand is a sourceof towards
influence change. Our
don'tknowanything aboutmodern art,I don't tasknowis to gettogether with,forexample, the
understand it'.Whyshoulditbe assumed thatmodern NationalFoundation forArtsin Education, theNational
danceor progressive musicor classical musicor anyart CampaignfortheArts,andall ouralliesincluding
formshouldbe instantly intelligible,whenyouaredealing Members ofParliament. BoththeArtsCommittee ofthe
withverysophisticated modesofcultural expression? You and
Society the Education
Society's Committee are
wouldnotexpectto sitsomebody downin front ofa themselves
addressing to thisproblembut,following
mathematical theorem andexpectitsmeaning to be KenRobinson's address,
perhaps thereis nowa need
patently clear. to forman actioncommittee.
specifically

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