Are the arts neglected in education?

Although events like the BAFTAs and BRIT awards may remind us of how talented Britons are when it comes to the arts, many of these awards are being deferred to American talents, with every nomination in the ‘Best Film’ category at the BAFTA an American one, and these areas are becoming ever less popular in young people.

Even though the EBacc, which allowed no opportunity to study the arts, has been scrapped, schools are consistently losing interest in the arts in favour of ‘real subjects’.  A clear example of this can be seen in the GCSE and A Level choices made at The Tiffin Girls’ School over the past few years.

Four years ago, the school boasted well over 40 drama students at GCSE. This year however, the number of students has halved. The school’s Theatre Studies A2 class only consists of 8 girls, while more than half of the 320 pupils in the Sixth Form have elected to choose either a Science or Mathematics subject. It is clear that many people believe that the only way they will be able to gain a successful job is through taking these subjects, and so neglect more creative subjects such as Art, Music and Drama.

However, the arts undeniably hold a significant and relevant place in our modern society, and to pass them off as a ‘soft option’ as so many do is prejudiced and ignorant. The arts, and more specifically the theatre have provided people across the world, and especially within the United Kingdom with the opportunity to express themselves, and in many cases, with an innovative and creative way to speak out.

In particular, it is important that young people continue to get involved in this varied and fascinating industry. For this reason, constant endorsement of the mathematical and scientific areas of education as the sole way to guarantee success and employment is severely damaging the chances of students choosing to continue to study artistic subjects. In fact ‘well-respected’ qualifications are not the only contributing factor towards a successful application for university or employment.

In addition, leading artistic figures can see many social benefits. Tony Hall, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House said that young people he had encountered who worked in the arts “gained confidence and a sense of self-worth”, and that denying children the opportunity to get involved in the arts “will harm the long-term creativity and potential of our workforce. Above all, it will harm our children by denying them access to this incredible creative world.”

And it seems that the practical benefits of an interest in these subjects can easily be reaped by students. Statistics show that universities prefer potential students to have a wide range of interests and passions, not just specific subject knowledge. In addition, studying drama provides the student with a great deal of benefits, such as teamwork, oratory and interpersonal skills that can easily be applied to later life. Drama also improves students’ confidence, both in their abilities to perform under pressure, and to speak in public, valuable life skills that will be useful no matter a person’s career choice.

Hopefully, celebrating artistic talents through ceremonies such as the Academy and BRIT awards will emphasise to educators just how influential and important the arts as a career can be. Awards like Best Original Screenplay, Costume Design, Film Editing and Visual Effects highlight the fact that the generic term ‘the arts’ actually encompasses a huge and varied number and range of occupations, not solely performing. Without creative courses and qualifications, none of the people who work in this industry and others like it would be able to create the works of art that we appreciate in these awards ceremonies.

Without the arts, many of the things we take for granted, such as television, cinema and the theatre would not exist, and in order to maintain these things for future generations, it is imperative that they are, as Tony Hall puts it “given due prominence in our schools”.

Imogen Edwards-Lawrence