Art education meeting

Press, 15 July 1982, Page 6

Art education meeting

No cuts should be made in art education, a meeting called in Christchurch yesterday to discuss the possibility demanded, About 45 art teachers and others interested in art education met to discuss the prospect of cuts in art education in schools. The meeting decided to send a letter to'the Minister of Education (Mr Wellington) expressing their concern about “indications of a change in policy affecting art education." . The two areas of concern to the group are the present vacancy for a curriculum development officer for arteducation in the Education

Department, and an apparent unwillingness to refill the position, and an apparent intention to remove a specialist art educator from the art departments of intermediate schools if rolls fall. “We believe, the long-term effect of these measures will be a greatly reduced art presence in intermediate schools, a loss of morale on the part of art educators and a serious diminution in what is presently a high level of engagement in cultural activities throughout New Zealand,” the letter said. An executive member of the New . Zealand Educational Institute, Mr Dave

Stewart, said that the existence of art education was in jeopardy. He denied any confirmation of an Education Department circular which said that when rolls dropped to 402 pupils one of the two specialists that, had to go could be an art-specialist. "Two of /the manual teachers must go to let the art specialist remain/’ Mr Stewart said. • Mr Stewart said there was no threat to the .art specialist until the roll dropped to 306 ’■ When the N.Z.E.I. had been asked for suggestions as to where the Government could make cuts in education it had suggested only that sup-

- port to private schools could i be looked at, Mr Stewart ■ said. i “I believe that in New I Tealand we have an ex- > tremely high level of cul- ,■ tural awareness,” said Mr John Coley, director of the [ Robert McDougall Art Gal- . lery. He said that a decline in the “intellectual style of life” 1 would accompany cuts in art education. ■. A community worker in Aranui, Sister Pauline O’Regan suggested that the health of the community could suffer with cuts to art education.