Fifteen-year-old Aimee Collins, a state school student from Somerset, wrote this brilliant speech for the…
Has your school seen cuts to the Arts?
A mainstream current affairs programme is keen to hear stories of how a reduction in arts in schools has damaged children’s educational experience.
If you have experienced this, please email us your story and we will pass it on to the programme makers. This in no way obliges you to take part in any future programme: they are at the research stage at the moment. Please get in touch at info@rescueourschools.co.uk
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My son attends a school where art is a secondary subject.Where maths and English (SATS) come first. If there is ant time then other things might happen.
In year 6 all key stage 2 mornings are taken up with SATS prep.I went to a parents evening and all I was presented with was a maths and English book and a tick chart with how he had done in all of the SATS areas.
My son is gifted in Art, Music and Science 9no mention was made of any of these subjects.
I am a Professional Artist and have 25Yrs of experience as a Senior Lecturer in Fine Art ( I learned in life that I had dyslexia) Despite going through a Comprehensive system I gained a First Class Degree and studied at the Royal Academy Schools in London.
I am appalled by the lack of foresight of the Conservative government and the philistine decisions made in relation to the Arts. I am appalled by the existence of learning differences and the talents of people through the ages.
Where would we be without Einstien (Scientist) Leonardo Da Vinci (Artist) , Sir Norman Foster (Architect) , Zoe Wannamaker (Actress) , Sir Richard Branson (business Tycoon) these people all dyslexics) and have made their own ‘life – changing’ contributions.
How would they have done in the Key Stage 2 SATS? Probably not too well I suspect.
I do not understand why the Conservative Government do not see the vailidity of poetry and a passion for writing (as opposed to the text book manual dissection of language, which offers no expression or meaning to our culture or the world).
Would Shakespeare have been excited about explaining what an adverb is ? Of course not.
I see my own 11 year old son; full of wonder, naturally inquisitive and creative beyond belief.
Why would any civilised culture seek to repress this, and turn him into a regurgitate machine / the product of a sausage machine?
Some kids do well out of this (learning through rota) but what about those who are something ‘other’ something unquantifiable, creative and courageous.Where is the celebration of this in our culture?
In time as Sir Ken Robinson states the realisation that our children have been short changed will come; however for this generation it will be too late, and some of our potential creatives will be damaged beyond repair, with a sense of failure and their creativity effectively snuffed out.
Shame on you Michael Gove and his accomplices; for being the clear ‘philistines’ that you are.