Vol. 435 No. 10
28 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Education the steps, if any, she has taken in relation to the training of teachers in primary and secondary schools with regard to teaching arts and culture in our primary and post-primary schools; her views on the current status and role of arts and culture in our schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I am satisfied that the teachers who graduate from the various third level institutions should be proficient in both knowledge of and pedagogical skills in the teaching of arts and culture.
The area of arts and culture is a significant and distinctive curricular area within Irish education at all levels.
I am also of the view that through learning and appreciating art students not only acquire a particular competence in this area, but are also afforded the opportunity to develop their imagination. I intend, therefore, to have this issue addressed in some detail in the forthcoming White Paper on Education.
In the meantime, while a lot has been achieved in the area of in-service for teachers in the arts and culture in the past, a more extensive range of courses will be planned for the future.
My Department has also been involved for a number of years in the organisation of a number of National and International Art Exhibitions which, I think, has given teachers and students the opportunity to experience art and culture from a broader perspective.
The Deputy may also be aware that the Primary Curriculum Review Body made certain recommendations regarding the Arts in the Curriculum. The NCCA have established a committee representative of the interested parties to examine these recommendations and advise me regarding future content in this area.
