Commenting after the passing of motion 12 at NEU Annual Conference, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The disappearance of arts subjects from state schools, while thriving in the independent sector, is creating a cultural divide.
“Children and young people gain so much from a curriculum that is fully rounded, with time, space and recognition for arts subjects. Sadly, a digest of testing, an ever-increasing obsession with EBacc subjects at secondary level and the dead hand of SATs testing in our primary schools means many arts subjects are being squeezed out of timetables.
“The lack of school funding is also becoming an ever-pressing matter in decisions on what can and cannot be taught in schools. With arts subjects often being the first casualty of cash strapped schools.
“Every child should have access to the arts. For many, schools will be the only place that this will happen as the cost of private music lessons, visits to theatres and concerts, are beyond the reach of an increasing number of families. Equally, with budgets in schools at breaking point, many students cannot take up arts subjects unless the school provides the equipment or materials. This is a pipe dream for the majority of head teachers.
“Education needs to be more varied, engaging and fun. This doesn’t mean that we sacrifice standards, but it does stop the stultifying exam factory diet that our children and young people are currently enduring. We need to see an overhaul of the curriculum, the ending of data-based measures such as EBacc, Progress 8 and SATs, and a serious increase in school funding to ensure that every student is taught a whole compliment of subjects playing to all strengths and interests.”