National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education

243 Pages·1999·1.29 MB·English

National Advisory Committee on
Creative and Cultural Education
All Our Futures:
Creativity, Culture and Education
Report to
the Secretary of State for Education and Employment
the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
May 1999
Contents
Terms of Reference 2
Membership of the Committee 3
Introduction and Summary 5
Part One: Facing the Future
1. The Challenge for Education 17
2. Creative Education 28
3. Cultural Education 44
4. Meeting the Challenge 61
Part Two: A New Balance
5. Developing the Curriculum 72
6. Teaching and Learning 101
7. Raising Standards 124
Part Three: Beyond the School
8. Developing Partnerships 138
9. Funding and Resources 160
10. Training People 174
Part Four: A National Strategy
Looking Ahead 190
Detailed Recommendations 192
Appendices
A. Patterns of Provision 205
B. Abbreviations, Notes and References 221
C. Acknowledgements 228
D. Research and Consultations 229
Contents NACCCE report 1
Terms of Reference
The National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education was established
in February 1998 by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, the Rt.
Hon David Blunkett MP and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the
Rt. Hon Chris Smith MP. Our terms of reference are:
To make recommendations to the Secretaries of State on the creative and
cultural development of young people through formal and informal
education: to take stock of current provision and to make proposals for
principles, policies and practice.
This report makes recommendations for provision in formal and informal education for
young people to the age of 16: that is, to the end of compulsory education. Our
inquiry coincides with the Government(cid:213)s planned review of the National Curriculum.
This report includes specific recommendations on the National Curriculum. It also
includes recommendations for a wider national strategy for creative and cultural
education.

Terms of Reference NACCCE report 2
Membership of the Committee
Professor Ken Robinson (Chairman), University of Warwick
Professor Lewis Minkin (Vice-chair), Sheffield Hallam University
Professor Eric Bolton CB, Formerly Senior Chief Inspector
Dawn French, Actor/Comedian
Lindsey Fryer, Vice-chair, Engage The National Association of Gallery Education
Professor Susan Greenfield, University of Oxford
Valerie Hannon, Chief Education Officer, Derbyshire
Lenny Henry CBE, Actor/Comedian
Dawn Holgate, Director of Education, Phoenix Dance Company
Dame Tamsyn Imison, Head, Hampstead School, London
Clive Jones, Chief Executive, Carlton Television
Judith Kelly OBE, Artistic Director, West Yorkshire Playhouse
Professor Sir Harold Kroto Kt., FRS, University of Sussex
Sir Claus Moser KCB, CBE, FBA, Chairman, Basic Skills Agency
Sir Simon Rattle Kt., CBE, Conductor
Lord Stone of Blackheath, Managing Director, Marks & Spencer plc
Professor Helen Storey, Fashion Designer
Carol Traynor, Head, St Boniface RC Primary School, Salford
Research Officer
Mathilda Joubert
Administrative Officer
Lynn Green
Membership of the Committee NACCCE report 3
Observers
John Connolly, DfEE (from August 1998)
Julian Critchley, DfEE
Janet Dawson, DfEE
Theresa Downing, DfEE (toAugust 1998)
Tony Dyer, DCMS (from December 1998)
Patrick Fallon, DCMS (to November 1998)
David Fawcett, DCMS (to November 1998)
Allan Ferries, DCMS (from December 1998)
Peter Jones HMI, OFSTED
Tony Knight, QCA
Angela Walsh, TTA
Membership of the Committee NACCCE report 4
Introduction and Summary
The Purpose of this Report
i. In 1997, the Government published its White Paper Excellence Our aim must be to create a nation
in Schools. It described education as a vital investment in where the creative talents of all the
people are used to build a true
(cid:212)human capital(cid:213) for the twenty-first century. It argued that one
enterprise economy for the twenty-
of the problems in education is the low expectations of young
first century (cid:209) where we compete on
people(cid:213)s abilities and that it is essential to raise morale,
brains, not brawn.
motivation and self esteem in schools. The main focus of the
The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon
White Paper was on raising standards in literacy and numeracy.
Tony Blair MP
But this will not be enough to meet the challenges that face
education, and the White Paper recognised this. It also said:
If we are to prepare successfully for the twenty-first ...we cannot rely on a small (cid:142)lite, no
century we will have to do more than just improve matter how highly educated or highly
paid. Instead we need the creativity,
literacy and numeracy skills. We need a broad,
enterprise and scholarship of all our
flexible and motivating education that recognises
people.
the different talents of all children and delivers
Rt. Hon David Blunkett MP,
excellence for everyone.
Secretary of State for Education and
Employment
It emphasised the urgent need to unlock the potential of every
young person and argued that Britain(cid:213)s economic prosperity
and social cohesion depend on this.
ii. This report argues that a national strategy for creative and We must change the concept of
cultural education is essential to that process. We put the case creativity from being something that
is (cid:212)added on(cid:213) to education, skills,
for developing creative and cultural education; we consider
training and management and make
what is involved; we look at current provision and assess the
sure it becomes intrinsic to all of
opportunities and obstacles; and we set out a national strategy.
these.
By creative education we mean forms of education that
Rt. Hon Chris Smith MP, Secretary
develop young people(cid:213)s capacities for original ideas and action:
of State for Culture, Media and
by cultural education we mean forms of education that enable
Sport
them to engage positively with the growing complexity and
diversity of social values and ways of life. We argue that there
are important relationships between creative and cultural
education, and significant implications for methods of teaching
and assessment, the balance of the school curriculum and for
partnerships between schools and the wider world.
What is this Report About?
iii. Our report develops five main themes:
The Challenge for Education
Education faces challenges that are without precedent.
Meeting these challenges calls for new priorities in education,
Introduction and Summary NACCCE report 5
including a much stronger emphasis on creative and cultural
education and a new balance in teaching and in the curriculum.
Creative Potential
Creativity is possible in all areas of human activity, including
the arts, sciences, at work at play and in all other areas of
daily life. All people have creative abilities and we all have
them differently. When individuals find their creative
strengths, it can have an enormous impact on self-esteem and
on overall achievement.
Freedom and Control
Creativity is not simply a matter of letting go. Serious
creative achievement relies on knowledge, control of materials
and command of ideas. Creative education involves a balance
between teaching knowledge and skills, and encouraging
innovation. In these ways, creative development is directly
related to cultural education.
Cultural Understanding
Young people are living in times of rapid cultural change and
of increasing cultural diversity. Education must enable them
to understand and respect different cultural values and
traditions and the processes of cultural change and
development. The engine of cultural change is the human
capacity for creative thought and action.
A Systemic Approach
Creative and cultural education are not subjects in the
curriculum, they are general functions of education.
Promoting them effectively calls for a systemic strategy: one
that addresses the balance of the school curriculum, teaching
methods and assessment, how schools connect with other
people and resources and the training and development of
teachers and others.
Who is this Report for?
iv. Formally, our report is addressed to the Secretaries of State,
and many of our recommendations do call for Government
action at various levels. But education concerns everybody:
children and young people, parents, employers, those in
Introduction and Summary NACCCE report 6
work, out of work or in retirement. Consequently, our report
is also written for a wider audience:
• for parents, who want education to offer the best
opportunities for their children;
• for teachers and headteachers who see the potential
range and vitality of young people(cid:213)s abilities;
• for school governors, who want their schools to be
alive with energy and achievement;
• for other organisations who see themselves as
partners in the education of young people and who
want to find better ways of engaging with them;
• for business and union leaders who recognise the
need for new approaches to preparing young people
for the changing nature of work.
Above all, our aim is to urge the need for a national strategy
which engages the energies of all of these to provide the kind
of education, in substance and in style, that all young people
need now, and to enable them to face an uncertain and
demanding future.
Why Now?
v. There are great opportunities now to promote young
people(cid:213)s creative and cultural education:
• The Government is committed to promoting the
creative abilities and cultural understanding of all
young people through education. At the same time,
it is introducing new patterns of funding to support
extended curricula, specialist facilities and
innovation.
• The business community wants education to give a
much higher priority to promoting young people(cid:213)s
creative abilities; to developing teamwork, social
skills and powers of communication.
• Many professional and other organisations are keen
to develop innovative partnerships with education,
through visits, residencies and liaison schemes.
• New technologies are providing unprecedented
access to ideas, information, people and
Introduction and Summary NACCCE report 7
organisations throughout the world, as well as to
new modes of creativity, personal expression,
cultural exchange and understanding.
The opportunities are considerable: and so are the difficulties.
vi. Issues of creativity and of cultural development concern the
whole of education. They are influenced by much more than
the shape and content of the formal school curriculum. These
influences include methods of teaching; the ethos of schools,
including the relationships between teachers and learners; and
the national priorities that underpin the education service.
Our consultations suggest some tensions in current provision.
• Many of those who have contributed to our inquiry
believe that current priorities and pressures in
education inhibit the creative abilities of young
people and of those who teach them. There is a
particular concern about the place and status of the
arts and humanities. There is also concern that
science education is losing its vitality under current
pressures.
• Many schools are doing exciting and demanding
work but often they see themselves doing this in
spite, not because, of the existing climate. This may
be more a problem of perception than of fact. There
is no comprehensive evidence available either way to
us nor to the Government. Nevertheless, the fact of
this perception, and how widespread it is, is
evidence of a problem in itself.
• Outside organisations (cid:209) museums, theatres,
galleries, orchestras and others (cid:209) have a great deal
to offer the formal education sector. Many already
have education and outreach programmes. There is a
compelling argument for closer working partnerships
and we have found considerable enthusiasm for
them. Many say they are poorly funded for
educational programmes and that such work still has
low priority.
• There are concerns about the supply of teachers and
the extent to which current training takes account of
the importance of creative and cultural education.
Introduction and Summary NACCCE report 8
vii. The key message of this report is the need for a new balance
in education: in setting national priorities; in the structure and
organisation of the school curriculum; in methods of teaching
and assessment; in relationships between schools and other
agencies. Over a number of years, the balance of education, in
our view, has been lost. There has been a tendency for the
national debate on education to be expressed as a series of
exclusive alternatives, even dichotomies: for example, as a
choice between the arts or the sciences; the core curriculum or
the broad curriculum; between academic standards or
creativity; freedom or authority in teaching methods. We
argue that these dichotomies are unhelpful. Realising the
potential of young people, and raising standards of
achievement and motivation includes all of these elements.
Creating the right synergy and achieving the right balance in
education is an urgent and complex task, from national policy
making to classroom teaching.
Structure of the Report
viii. The report is in four parts. In Part One, we set out our
definitions and framework for creative and cultural education.
In Part Two, we look at the implications for the school
curriculum, for teaching and for assessment. In Part Three, we
argue for a broad base of partnerships between schools and
other agencies and consider issues of resources and training.
In Part Four we present a series of detailed recommendations
as a framework for a national strategy. The arguments of the
report are as follows:
Part One: Facing the Future
1. The Challenge for Education
Education throughout the world faces unprecedented
challenges: economic, technological, social, and personal.
Policy-makers everywhere emphasise the urgent need to
develop (cid:212)human resources(cid:213), and in particular to promote
creativity, adaptability and better powers of communication.
We argue that this means reviewing some of the basic
assumptions of our education system. New approaches are
needed based on broader conceptions of young people(cid:213)s
abilities, of how to promote their motivation and self-esteem,
and of the skills and aptitudes they need. Creative and
Introduction and Summary NACCCE report 9