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Funding Crisis Causes Arts Subjects To Plummet

Kallie Worsfold 725 Views ,  , 

A Kent Performing Arts teacher has described the decline in arts subjects as ”soul-destroying”.

According to a BBC survey, 40% of 1,200 secondary schools in the UK have cut arts subjects.

Nine in every 10 said they have cut back on lesson time, staff or facilities in at least one of the creative art curriculums.

The BBC survey all found out ”Of the schools responding, four in 10 were spending less money on facilities, more than three out of 10 had reduced timetabled lessons, and some reported having fewer specialist staff.”

George Gannon, Head of Performing Arts at Strood Academy, Kent, commented: ”It has been very noticeable that the number of students choosing art subjects have dropped.

”Students are being told how creative subjects are ‘not important’ and therefore this makes them less likely to choose art based subjects.

”This opinion will not change until the government changes its stance and makes the arts equal to other subjects. As a teacher who is passionate about the arts, it is soul-destroying to see them being treated as ‘second-class’ citizens within schools.”

As a teacher who is passionate about the arts, it is soul-destroying to see them being treated as ‘second-class’ citizens”.

Since the EBacc (English Baccalaureate) was established in 2010, it has had a devastating impact on creative subjects.

As stated by The Telegraph, ‘recent figures published by the Department for Education in January show an overall fall in the uptake of arts subjects by 8% on top of 8% last year.

The percentage of state school pupils taking ‘at least one arts subject’ also declined from 48% to 46.5%, a further fall. This decline will continue as the government strive to make their target of 90% of Year 10s studying the EBacc subjects by 2025′.

Pete Bryan, Arts Administrator at Arts Development UK tells The Canterbury Hub about his concern of the decline in arts subjects.

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The alarming decline in students picking creative subjects has led to fears of a looming ”talent crisis” in the arts sector.

Sophie Hart, Musical Theatre student at Reynolds Performing Arts college says she ”fears for those who want a career in the arts for the future.

”I left sixth form after a year because they wouldn’t pick up dance due to not wanting to fund for it.

”It made me very annoyed because fourteen students really wanted to study dance, and one person wanted to study maths, yet they allowed maths to go ahead because it’s a core subject.

”I think it is ridiculous that they are making cuts to the arts in schools. The creative industry is such an important sector and there’s so much talent out there, but because EBacc subjects are more important and the government cannot fund for their passion they are at a disadvantage. I really fear for those who want a career in the arts for the future.”

WATCH Michael Gove talk about the EBacc and how EBacc exams will compete with the best.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0HxaYe7JGA&w=560&h=315]

Credit to The Telegraph.