Every day I think about Sir Ken Robinson's damning prognosis of the majority of education systems. "I'm alright" I say to myself, "I work in a PYP school where creativity is a valued part of the curriculum." But today I've had an experience that tells me perhaps this is not strictly true.
My class photos were scheduled to be taken during today's Art lesson. This was the result of much to-ing and fro-ing of what my class and another class "could afford to miss". Naturally Art was the loser.
So, off I went to speak to the Art teacher to tell her that I would be taking the kids out of her class for a while. I went to the Art room but, lo and behold, she was not there. She has had to shift all of her lessons, resources and materials to a temporary classroom outside in order to make way for IB Diploma Examinations for the next two weeks.
Sir Ken said that Art, Drama and Dance should be valued equally with Reading, Writing and Maths. Evidence suggests we have a long way to go. I'm sure that my school is not unique. Many of these decisions are made in the context of a highly complex day-to-day existence and in a constant state of flux - a state nearly all schools are in. Yet, it does seem strange, and that's how I felt today, that Art was taking the fall in both cases.
My class photos were scheduled to be taken during today's Art lesson. This was the result of much to-ing and fro-ing of what my class and another class "could afford to miss". Naturally Art was the loser.
So, off I went to speak to the Art teacher to tell her that I would be taking the kids out of her class for a while. I went to the Art room but, lo and behold, she was not there. She has had to shift all of her lessons, resources and materials to a temporary classroom outside in order to make way for IB Diploma Examinations for the next two weeks.
Sir Ken said that Art, Drama and Dance should be valued equally with Reading, Writing and Maths. Evidence suggests we have a long way to go. I'm sure that my school is not unique. Many of these decisions are made in the context of a highly complex day-to-day existence and in a constant state of flux - a state nearly all schools are in. Yet, it does seem strange, and that's how I felt today, that Art was taking the fall in both cases.
I saw the TED video about half a year ago and cannot agree more. However, I don't know how many of the decisions regarding the curriculum are in the teachers' hands - mostly are up to board directors and principals that often areincongruent with ours.
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