Abstract:
This paper explores the history of the Creative Arts in Australian primary schools over the last fifty years, showing how, despite the many government investigations into the arts in education, and the many highly applaudable recommendations developed as a result of these investigations, little has changed. In general, the Creative Arts subjects are still taught individually, by generalist classroom teachers, who perceive themselves as having neither confidence not competence in these areas. The Creative Arts are still at the bottom of the list of Primary School priorities and they are often the first to be dropped from a teacher's program if there are interruptions in the school week.
The situation in Tertiary Education, where tomorrow's teachers are being trained, is no better. Lecture hours for compulsory Creative Arts subjects are being significantly decreased and the four strands of the Creative Arts (Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts) are being grouped together as one subject but rarely presented using a developmental or integrated approach.
However in reflecting on these challenges, some positive outcomes in Creative Arts education are being observed within the recently developed Bachelor of Teaching course and in the Bachelor of Education specialisation in the Creative Arts at the University of Western Sydney, Macarthur.
In the compulsory undergraduate Creative Arts subjects, partnerships are being created with drama, music and visual arts which are then being integrated with other subject areas in an effort to have them included more frequently in a teacher's program. In the BEd (Creative Arts) course, as well as completing electives in the individual specialist areas, the students also undertake two integrated Creative Arts subjects in which they receive practical experience and support in implementing the Creative Arts in their own classroom.
The results of these approaches indicate that, at least in the short term, the students' and their pupils' skills, knowledge and attitudes have developed considerably and the students have seen the positive results for themselves of integrating the Creative Arts within the school situation.
The situation in Tertiary Education, where tomorrow's teachers are being trained, is no better. Lecture hours for compulsory Creative Arts subjects are being significantly decreased and the four strands of the Creative Arts (Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts) are being grouped together as one subject but rarely presented using a developmental or integrated approach.
However in reflecting on these challenges, some positive outcomes in Creative Arts education are being observed within the recently developed Bachelor of Teaching course and in the Bachelor of Education specialisation in the Creative Arts at the University of Western Sydney, Macarthur.
In the compulsory undergraduate Creative Arts subjects, partnerships are being created with drama, music and visual arts which are then being integrated with other subject areas in an effort to have them included more frequently in a teacher's program. In the BEd (Creative Arts) course, as well as completing electives in the individual specialist areas, the students also undertake two integrated Creative Arts subjects in which they receive practical experience and support in implementing the Creative Arts in their own classroom.
The results of these approaches indicate that, at least in the short term, the students' and their pupils' skills, knowledge and attitudes have developed considerably and the students have seen the positive results for themselves of integrating the Creative Arts within the school situation.