"Arts Education between art and education"

WOLFGANG SCHLUMP M.A., MPA Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Berlin

and

DR. ERNST WAGNER Bavarian State Ministry of Education (StMUK), Munich Representative, Standing Conference of State Ministers of Education (KMK)

UNESCO World Conference on Arts Education, Lisbon, March 2006
Statement for the Second Roundtable
(Wednesday 8 March 2006, 9:30)

Road map for Arts Education: International overview of best practices of Member States in the implementation of their policies in the field of Arts Education
First Group Discussion: Policies - National strategies / Inter-Ministerial Partnership

1) Status Quo

Arts education for young people is offered in youth work outside compulsory schooling in non-standardized form (for example in special music and art schools, socio-cultural centres, theatres, museums, etc.) and in standardized form as part of compulsory schooling.

Schools generally provide basic arts education for all young people. "Art" and "Music" are subjects with their own curricula; classes are taught for an average of 45 or 90 minutes per week. Drama and acting, digital and analog media (e. g. films), dance, cooperation with museums and other cultural institutions as well as creative writing are methods which, to some extent, are used in nearly all subjects or which form part of special project weeks.

In addition, youth contests in arts education are being organized and, for example, the youth education initiative "Kinder zum Olymp" (www.kinder-zum-olymp.de) has been launched.

2) Current Policies

1. In the mid 1990s, the digital media and networks were recognized as a challenge also for arts education. Programs have generated models for school instruction, tested them in classroom teaching and transferred the new content to initial and in-service teacher training (www.kubim.de, www.netzspannung.org). "Image Competency" is the key word. An eye has to be kept on further technological developments.

2. There has been a consensus for some years now that all-day schooling should be offered to an increasing extent. In this connection, cooperation with artists (who have not been trained as teachers) is being extended to broaden the range of school teaching activities and give young people an opportunity to gain authentic experience. This also includes learning outside school on the basis of cooperation agreements with cultural institutions (art and music schools, agencies, museums).

3. Arts education can make a contribution to intercultural communication and to the social integration of young people with a migration background. At the same time, it can sharpen the specific profiles of schools. The first research projects and pilot schemes have been launched (e. g. www.kupoge.de/kulturorte, www.bjke.de).

3) Desiderata

The results of international comparative education studies have put arts education subjects in schools under pressure to defend themselves. The current challenge which arts education policy has to meet is therefore to further improve its status in the education system.

1. The importance and role of arts education as a key to personality development must be further discussed in education policy in an international context while considering the results of brain research (e. g development of a research design for an OECD survey on the results of arts education).

2. Research must continue to contribute to the diagnosis of artistic and cultural talent and also to the professionalization of teachers though lifelong learning.

3. Arts education must also be based on current developments and the discussions in the arts community (e. g. art as a form of research).