Why does arts and culture in schools matter to young people?
What defines an arts- and culture-rich school?
Why are all state-funded schools not yet arts- and culture-rich?
These questions have undoubtedly been discussed by drama teachers across the country in the face of falling arts provision in schools. The battle for parity with other subjects and the desire to assert the value of drama and other arts in schools is ongoing. However, as departments are shrinking and time pressures result in more isolated schools, this can often seem like an uphill struggle. Evidence based research emphasising the importance of arts-rich schools is desperately needed and the Royal Shakespeare Company, Tate and the University of Nottingham have joined together to deliver it.
Time to Listen, the first and most comprehensive survey of its kind, shows what students themselves say about the value of arts and cultural education. Researchers gathered 6,000 responses from students aged 11-18 and their teachers over three years.
This landmark research, commissioned by Arts Council England, and involving thousands of students and teachers, outlines the overwhelming benefits of arts and cultural education on the lives of young people. The research team have united voices from across the country to deliver a strong call to action that cannot be ignored by Parliament.
‘The biggest value of creative work for the students is working independently and solving problems and being given responsibility, because ultimately that is what life is about…’
Teacher participant
The survey was carried out against a background of funding cuts and a rapid decline in the number of arts teachers and hours spent on arts subjects in state-funded schools. There is a growing gap in arts provision between state-maintained schools and the independent sector.
The strong, consistent and thoughtful message from the young people in this study is that arts and cultural subjects are uniquely important in equipping them for both academic and employment success.
Erica Whyman, RSC Deputy Artistic Director
The research has gathered together thousands of voices from across the student population but there is one clear and consistent message: arts and cultural learning taps into their imagination, creative instincts and self-worth in ways that other lessons do not. The findings leave no doubt about the positive impact that arts-rich schools have on fostering independent thinking and creativity, confidence, well-being and empathy. Other subjects may claim to foster these skills but only arts subjects make them integral to their assessments.
This research shows that the absence of definitive right or wrong answers leaves students space to develop their own opinions as rounded individuals ready to contribute to their community and the wider world.
In arts subjects there's no such thing as perfection…It's interpretation. Everyone will have a different opinion and you have to take it on board and reflect upon it.
A student response
As a result of the research, and the growing body of evidence, the RSC and Tate are calling for five changes to ensure that arts and culture education features in all young people's education:
- All secondary schools should be able to:
- a) ensure that at key stage 3 the arts have parity with other subjects
- b) Offer a full range of arts subjects at key stage 4 (GSCE)
- c) Confidently talk to students and their families about the value of studying arts subjects
- The Ofsted process should ensure the breadth and balance of the school curriculum by specifying in the inspection framework the minimum proportion of curriculum time to be spent studying arts subjects at key stage 3, and the range of arts subjects offered at key stage 4.
- There should be an Arts and Culture Premium matching the Sports Premium as a ring-fenced budget for all children in primary and secondary schools.
- Russell Group universities should review their approach to Facilitating Subjects recognising that studying arts subjects can provide young people with an essential foundation for further study.
- There should be acknowledgement and appropriate reward in both pay scale and job title for the work of teachers who take on the role of ‘arts broker’.
This large-scale research clearly outlines the benefits of an arts education and provides strategies for ensuring that every young person – not just a minority – has the opportunity to learn in an arts and culture-rich school. This message has been delivered to the House of Lords, but we mustn't stop talking about it: write to your local MP and your university and get your students to present the research findings to their school leadership team. Never give up fighting for arts and culture in schools because now you know there are thousands fighting with you.
For more information and to download the full report, visit its website at https://researchtale.net