Hyacinths for the soul: The challenges of protecting the arts in light of the compulsory EBacc
Let me begin by saying that when Schools Minister Nick Gibb initially set out the government’s plans to reinforce the importance of a core academic curriculum for all pupils, I did agree with some of his sentiments. I share the belief that if we are to create a fairer, more socially mobile society, we need to ensure high standards of academic achievement for all, but I disagree with his belief that only the proposed EBacc subjects can provide this. A ‘one size fits all’ approach is potentially devastating for the arts in schools. It restricts opportunities for providing students with a personalised curriculum which would enable them to develop their individual skills and interests whilst achieving the academic success that will equip them for life beyond school.
Whilst Mr Gibb suggests his plan for ‘EBacc for All’ will create greater social justice, when it comes to implementing it within my own school’s curriculum, I am concerned that it has the potential to do the very opposite. School leaders must regard the EBacc in the context of Progress 8 measures and with the double weighting of mathematics and English, double or triple science, history or geography and a modern foreign language, where will this leave the arts and other subjects excluded from the EBacc? The subjects within the EBacc have been made more rigorous with far more content so outside of the EBacc, how many options will there be for students choosing GCSE courses?
Reflecting on my five years as Principal at Macmillan Academy, one of the things I am proudest of is how in that time the arts have become integral to the life of the academy; able to transcend individual lessons and permeate the culture of the organisation. In recent years, thanks largely to the drive and commitment of passionate heads of department and teaching staff, we have gained the prestigious artsmark award, created inspirational gallery spaces, won a national award for our BTEC dance group’s holocaust memorial commemorations, created an art installation for the impressive Gallipoli celebration in Middlesbrough, produced original and moving remembrance day dramas and films, worked with local charities and organisations to produce films and organised regular dance showcases, theatrical productions and exhibitions.
The academy has been lifted through a collective sense of pride and achievement as students have celebrated their creativity, imagination and individuality. Witnessing these events is to see what WB Yeats meant when he famously said that, ‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.’ There is some irony here in that the first time the Progress 8 calculation was explained to me, it was made clear that I should concentrate on ensuring students had ‘filled their three buckets’ (now known as ‘slots’).
My fear is that when we are being judged under the EBacc Progress 8 measure, we will struggle to maintain these exceptional aspects of the academy because whilst we can do so much for the arts in enrichment time or as ‘add-on’s, I believe the only way we can achieve real excellence is by developing students’ skills through a rigorous curriculum. Arts education should not be a frill and there is a real danger in running an education system that is wholly based on standardisation and conformity. Ken Robinson sums it up when he states that ‘the aims of education are to enable students to understand the world around them and the talents within them so that they can become fulfilled individuals and active, compassionate citizens.’
A strong curriculum should enable all students to nurture their individual talents and should create a level playing field for students of all backgrounds to achieve success but if we are forced to squeeze the arts from the curriculum we create greater injustice; children of affluent, aspiring parents will generally get some exposure to the arts whether schools provide it or not, whereas children from low income families often do not. If we accept that arts education is important, then we must find ways of placing it at the core of our curriculum and removing some of the restrictions we are to be placed under. Figures published this year by the government suggest the UK’s Creative Industries are worth £76.9 billion per year to the UK economy, yet how will the UK secure its place as a leading global hub for the creative industries for the decades to come if children leave school ill equipped for this key sector?
There is an old Arab proverb, ‘If you have only two pennies, spend the first on bread and the other on hyacinths for your soul’, which reminds me that we must not become obsessed with the core subjects at the expense of the humanities and arts. Difficult decisions lie ahead and I would welcome further discussion on how other schools and academies are facing the challenges of meeting the demands of the EBacc, whilst maintaining a strong arts agenda.
Phil Latham –Principal, Macmillan Academy, Middlesbrough
References:
Robinson, K and Aronica, L (2015) Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming, Allen Lane
Department for Culture, Media & Sport (January 2015) Creative Industries now worth £8.8 million an hour to UK economy.