Should we stop teaching creative subjects at secondary schools?

The government are reforming GCSE's to the Ebacc ( English Baccalaureate), it has already started, but by 2015 Michael Gove wants the curriculum to consists of five pillars, where creative subjects are not included. The creative industry and colleges are campaigning to include a sixth pillar, which includes the creative subjects.

If you think we should be including creative subjects, please get involved and spread the word.

http://includedesign.org/press-and-events/#6minutes

A quote from a Guardian article "A recent poll by Ipsos Mori shows that over the last year alone 27% of schools cut courses as a direct result of the Ebacc measure. The previous year the figure was even higher at 45%. Of the courses cut, drama, performing arts, art and design, and design and technology are the worst hit."

(http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture-professionals-network/culture-pro...)

I would be really interested in people's views regarding this.

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No way, teaching creative behavior in learning process is something new we can do. Online math tutorials teach you anew concept of learning maths concepts. They are highly helpful as they provide full time access to the content matter and you can have a look at them depending on your preference. People more prone to gadget can access the study matters with ease. The freely available practice sets help as yard sticks to gauge your performance. I think that's a creative way of learning. 

England has produced some of the best within the creative design industry and as a result are highly sort after world wide and is already losing these people to overseas. How does the government expect economic growth without art & design or design and Technology ?

I agree Anita, the UK is a leader in the world of design and I think it would be tragic if the design industry goes like the manufacturing industry has and we will become even more reliant on other countries. The creative industries give a good boost to our economy and employs millions.

NO! Creativity is about communication, it makes us use our visual imagination! People can express themselves by creating and it also helps to develop confidence.Children as well as young people by learning creative subjects start thinking in a more creative way and have a creative response to everyday situations.

That's a good point Sylwia about communication, as before people could write they communicated through patterns, mark making, and cave paintings display and communicate what happened such a long time ago. Every industry needs good communication and we do this in such a variety of different ways.
Without creative subjects a lot of children will lose interest in school and college. For children who aren't academic, much like myself will suffer because they'll feel like they aren't good enough if they aren't brilliant at maths or science. Creative subjects require just as much skill and knowledge as the core subjects, sometimes even more.

Also from a jobs point of view, what are people like ourselves who have got a degree and are trying to get into teaching supposed to do if our subjects are taken away?

Hi Melissa

"Also from a jobs point of view, what are people like ourselves who have got a degree and are trying to get into teaching supposed to do if our subjects are taken away"?

I guess get a better paid job overseas would be a solution, as a teacher !!!

I agree Melissa, as creative subjects are another path and I don't think it should be seen as a lesser option, we should be giving people choices not taking them away. Intelligence is more than just being book smart and people's IQ's (convergence tests), being able to think in different ways and come up with creative solutions and seeing more options (divergent thinking) is important and I think creative subjects can get people to explore options and express themselves in a variety of different ways.
Additionally, creative skills are really helpful when developing maths and science knowledge thus developing the 'all round' student. Creative skills can help to develop visual awareness which could lead to innovating designs for the building or engineering industry. Indeed, in De Bono's six thinking hats theory, the green hat is useful for developing creative and innovative ideas and thinking outside the box. Surely this will be much easier for people to do in the workplace if they have has some practice in the safe environment of the classroom.

As you say Melissa, creative subjects certainly require a great amount of skill and knowledge and can help to engage and interest many students. In my opinion, these subject should continue to be taught alongside the core subjects.

Theresa

I agree with Melissa, without creative subjects schools are going to lose the interest of individuals who are not academic. How would this promote inclusion because you are not catering to all types of people, if creative people are unable to express themselves positively in school (through lessons, and coursework) what will they do instead? Disrupt lessons they find difficult and have no interest in???

Having watched this clip of Ken Robinson at the TEDtalks recently, suggesting that we should be encouraging creativity in schools and as a life skill, I feel that removing the arts and creative studies from schools can only be detrimental to learning especially when we are supposed to be making learning inclusive for all!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iG9CE55...

I've watched a few of Ken's talks on TED and they all have the thread in them about creativity and putting this into teaching. Theresa above has mentioned De Bono and thinking outside the box and Ken also mentions De Bono in this talk http://m.youtube.com/#/watchv=zDZFcDGpL4U&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%...
and what I mentioned earlier - divergent thinking. I found it interesting that in the study regarding divergent thinking that as we get older we seem less capable of doing it, as we are looking to just get the right answer and not explore the different options. Taking creative subjects away will be limiting students options and I think saying 'these subjects' are only the 'right' subjects to do and so schools will only want to teach those subjects and students may feel they should only be learning those subjects.

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