Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2017
254. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she continues to promote the benefit of an appreciation of the arts among schoolchildren with particular reference to local history and its importance in the national context; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48256/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Creative Ireland Programme, which I launched in December 2016, places a special focus on “Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child”. Building on the Arts in Education Charter, this will involve the development of an integrated plan – Creative Children – to enable every child in Ireland to access tuition in music, drama, art and coding by 2022. My Department officials continue to work with relevant Departments and other stakeholders to develop this plan. The plan will be a primary driver of actions in this area in 2018.
In addition, the Arts Council commissioned report Arts and Cultural Participation among Children and Young People: Insights from the Growing Up in Ireland Study, which was published in September 2016, concluded that arts and cultural participation leads to a range of positive outcomes for children, both in terms of their cognitive development and their well-being. This study found that schools are important arenas for access to arts/culture and school emphasis on culture has a positive impact on student engagement in these activities.
It should be noted that under the Arts Act 2003, primary responsibility for the promotion and support of the arts throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. This year the Arts Council increased funding in this area from €3.1 m in 2016 to €3.7 m in 2017 on foot of the significant increase of support of €5m which I secured for the Arts Council as part of Budget 2017. This will assist the Council in implementing its 10-year strategy Making Great Art Work (2016-2025). This strategy places specific emphasis on the need to plan and provide for children and young people.
Regarding the appreciation of local history and heritage among schoolchildren, the Heritage Council operates the Heritage in Schools Scheme. This makes available to primary schools a current panel of 145 Heritage Experts who visit primary schools to work directly with the pupils. The scheme currently reaches nearly 100,000 primary school pupils over the course of 2,000 school visits each year. The value of the scheme is in the richness and depth of knowledge it makes available to children and teachers, engaging children in a direct experience of their heritage, preferably outside the classroom where possible and appropriate. The Heritage Council has just completed a review of the Scheme and appointed new Experts who will achieve a greater geographical spread and will enable the scheme place more emphasis on built heritage supporting efforts to promote the historic values of towns.
In terms of next steps in this area, my Department is working closely with the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Youth and Children Affairs and the Arts Council in preparing the Creative Children plan to deliver the objectives of Pillar 1 of the Creative Ireland Programme. This plan will be launched later in the year.
