Let's hear it for the Arts

Curriculums and A-level choices may be gravitating towards science and technology, but the Arts still have much to offer in terms of life lessons, balance and presentational skills, finds Lucy Higginson

- Lucy Higginson

THE pianist Myra Hess—who famously gave daily concerts in the National Gallery throughout the Blitz—is one of many to have known the value of the Arts in dark times, but the numbers of children studying them in school these days is sadly shrinking. As subjects such as psychology and computer science find increasing take-up, roughly 30% fewer than a decade ago are sitting Arts A levels, according to education researchers FFT Datalab.

The problem is compounded further in the state sector by shrinking funding as the focus shifts to STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths). This is not only sad, but important, especially when you consider that ‘children who engage in the arts are more likely to volunteer and to vote… and to show significant improvement in social cohesion and cooperation’, according to research analysed by the Cultural Learning Alliance, which champions access to the Arts for all children.

The path in life has been smoothed by an ability to address an audience

The story is not universally depressing, however, especially in Britain’s independent schools, where standards of music, drama, art, dance and general creativity appear higher than ever. There are several reasons for this, including amazing facilities, and—in many cases—a much longer school day in which to fit it all in. Dazzling concerts, shows and plays can run independent of exams and are great marketing collateral in a competitive market. Opportunities extend far beyond chapel choir and plays these days, as schools respond to teenage tastes with open-mic nights, hip-hop troupes and film-making clubs.