Give our children more arts in education
Interesting to see a new report released by the Cultural Learning Alliance this week. Called ImagineNation and put together by over 6000 teachers, parents, artists and performers, the report shows that exposure to a wide range of cultural experiences from a young age, improves attainment in all subjects , it also claims that taking part in arts type activities can "demonstrably increase a child's cognitive skills".
Over recent years there has been a move, in education, towards focusing more exclusively on maths and science based subjects at school, often at the expense of the arts subjects. While of course the sciences are hugely important, we need to ensure a broader balance so that children receive a rounded education and in doing so are more fully prepared for life.
We particularly liked this quote from the report:
"The future prosperity of this country depends on the creativity of its citizens. Training of the hand, eye and ear is also training for the mind. Children and young people who are imaginative, articulate, and emotionally mature will be more intellectually curious and physically inventive. They will seek innovation and change because they have been encouraged to express themselves, and are confident in doing so. Scientific and technical invention is just as much an act of the imagination as writing, painting and composing: the more children and young people are encouraged to develop their imaginations in one area, the more prepared they will be to be ingenious and innovative in another"
We couldn't agree more. You can find the full report online here.
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