The Arts Education Program

Introduction

Two Minister's Advisory Committee reports released in the 1980s provided the basis for the development of new policy and curricula in Arts Education in Saskatchewan.
In 1981 the Minister's Advisory Committee on the Fine Arts in Education released its final report with forty-five recommendations for improving the teaching of the arts in Saskatchewan schools. It recommended that a new curriculum be developed, and provided guidelines for curriculum development. The committee also recommended that high schools be encouraged to continue to establish specialized credit courses in the arts at the 10, 20 and 30 levels and that the Department of Education establish rigorous standards for specialized studies in the arts.
From 1982 until 1984, the Minister's Advisory Committee on Curriculum and Instruction Review undertook a province-wide study of education. The committee's final report, Directions, recommended that aesthetic education be a part of the kindergarten to grade 12 core curriculum for all students.
In the fall of 1986, an advisory committee was formed to advise Saskatchewan Education in the areas of dance, drama, music and visual art. Curriculum writers and the committee began to prepare curriculum documents for a four-strand Arts Education program and for specialized arts courses at the 10, 20 and 30 levels. These arts curricula were developed in response to four main guidelines:

all arts curricula should include three components -- the creative/productive component, the cultural/historical component and the critical/responsive component
curricula should include Indian, Métis and Inuit content and perspectives
the required learnings for all courses should include knowledge, skills and attitudes
at the Secondary Level, each course should be based on a 100 hour time allotment.

During the development of curricula, drafts were taken periodically to the Arts Education Advisory Committee and the Indian and Métis Education Advisory Committee for review and comment. In the case of Choral 10, 20, 30, the curriculum requirements document underwent a review during which comments and suggestions were gathered from choral specialists throughout the province. These comments and suggestions were incorporated into the document during the revision process.

Arts Education Aim and Goals

The Arts Education program has one major aim: to enable students to understand and value the arts throughout life. This one aim describes the main outcome for students and the primary reason for including Arts Education in the Core Curriculum for all students.
The aim of the program can be achieved through meeting the following goals. By participating in the Arts Education program, students will:

respect the uniqueness and creativity of themselves and others
increase their ability to express themselves through languages other than spoken or written language
understand the contributions of the arts and artists to societies and cultures, past and present
gain a lasting appreciation of art forms experienced as participant and audience
recognize the many connections between the arts and daily life.

The aim and goals of Arts Education apply to the four-strand arts courses and to specialized courses such as Choral 10, 20, 30. Philosophy
The Saskatchewan Arts Education program provides a unique way of knowing about the world and human experience. In order for students to benefit from this unique way of knowing, all courses in the Arts Education program encourage:

education of the senses to take in information
literacy in the languages of the arts strands
acquisition of skills and development of abilities to enable students to express themselves using the languages of the arts
understanding of the role of the arts in cultures and societies, both past and present.

Three Components of Arts Education

All Arts Education curricula are structured, through the inclusion of the three following components, to achieve a balance in focus. The components are not to be segregated but are intended to be interwoven throughout the program.

The Creative/Productive Component

This component includes the exploration, development and expression of ideas in the language of each strand or art form. In order for a project to be creative, the student must be actively engaged in the cognitive process. The student will learn where ideas come from and how ideas can be developed and transformed. Reflection is an essential part of the creative process and allows students to evaluate their own growth.

The Cultural/Historical Component

This component deals with the role of the arts in culture, the development of the arts throughout history, and the factors that influence the arts and artists. It includes the historical development of each art form. In addition, it focuses on the arts in contemporary cultures, and includes popular culture and various cross-cultural studies. The intention of this component is to develop in students an understanding that the arts are an integral aspect of living for all people.

The Critical/Responsive Component

This component enables students to respond critically to images, sounds, performances and events in the artistic environment. Students will become willing participants in the interactive process between artist and audience rather than passive consumers of the arts.

The Role of Specialized Courses

Throughout the Elementary and Middle Levels, the focus for students in Arts Education is on a breadth of knowledge, skills and attitudes in the four strands of dance, drama, music and visual art. At the Secondary Level, it is appropriate to offer those students with a particular interest in one strand an opportunity to acquire Arts Education credits through classes in that strand.
The foundational objectives of Secondary Level specialized courses grow naturally from the grade one to nine foundational objectives of the corresponding strand. For example, the foundational objectives for Choral 10, 20, 30, although they pertain to a specialized interest in vocal music, grow naturally from grade one to nine music with its focus on the elements of music, listening experiences and creative explorations in sound. The four-strand Arts Education program and the specialized courses are connected through their common developmental content and their inclusion of the three components.