Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain

The visual arts and education

John Gingell claims that the visual arts are marginalised in the school curriculum; they are taught because they have always been taught. This sort of justification is hopelessly weak and, in this pamphlet, he explains why the visual arts can and should occupy an important place in the curriculum both in educational and economic terms. 

He rejects traditional justifications such as the enhancement of creativity; the promotion of self expression; and the place of the visual arts in moral and social education. Instead, he argues that the systematic introduction of Art History into the state school curriculum would open up the possibility for all children to appreciate an important part of their cultural heritage whilst awakening them to an area which may become part of a worthwhile life for them. At the same time it would introduce them to an important aspect of human creativity and awaken them to the possibility of their own creativity. 

Moreover, Gingell sees fringe benefits in all of this. For the last one hundred and fifty years, the school curriculum has been dominated by reading and writing. But these are not the only areas in which we might wish to foster the intelligence of our children. If, as Gingell suggests, the visual arts can play a major part in our lives then they will assume greater relevance in the curriculum. And the development of visual acuity and appreciation that a course in Art History must incorporate give sense to notions of broadness and balance in the curriculum. In addressing such issues we also begin to address the wish for our state education system to nurture the talents of all our children. The public school system where courses in Art History are not uncommon, seems to have taken this lesson on board, it is time that the state system did the same.

But there is also an economic dimension to all of this. The visual arts in Britain are not only a significant part of our culture, they are also a multibillion pound industry. The idea of educating people to appreciate these arts does not run counter to economic imperatives but takes account of them. And this provides us with yet another justification for including them in the curriculum.

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