New Research Affirms Importance of Visual Education For All Children

The release today of the federal government funded report of the National Review of Education is enthusiastically welcomed by the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA). NAVA has played a key role in lobbying for and providing expert advice to this review. NAVA is the peak body representing the professional interests of the Australian visual arts, craft and design sector, and for many years has been a strong advocate for visual education to be a compulsory stand alone subject in the school curriculum from Kindergarten to year 10. NAVA’s Executive Director, Tamara Winikoff said today, “ NAVA strongly endorses the findings of the NRVE report and will be looking to federal and state governments to take immediate practical steps to implement its four key recommendations.”Winikoff continued, “It is very concerning that at a time when Australia is trying to boost its capacity to compete in the global marketplace of ideas, the arts are not included in the development agenda of the Rudd government’s newly formed National Curriculum Board.”
“This would seem to run counter to the Arts and Education joint statement made only a few months ago by all the federal and state arts and education ministers who are members of the Cultural Ministers Council and the Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs,” Winikoff continued.

NAVA today called for:
- visual education to be incorporated across the school curriculum from 2009;

- sequential, progressive training in visual art theory, history and practice as a compulsory subject in the curriculum to year 10, with smooth pathways in years 11 & 12 to tertiary art training;

- a commitment from the CMC and MCEETYA to facilitate the implementation of the NRVE recommendations as the logical means to realise the intentions of their joint statement on Arts and Education;

- new models for teacher training to be developed and regular subsidised continuing education professional development training for teachers throughout their careers;

- a commitment of funding from governments for the development of up to date curriculum resources and for provision of necessary equipment and materials in public schools;

- development of models for better collaboration between schools and ‘informal’ education providers like galleries and art, design and media organizations.

NAVA also called for broad distribution of the NRVE report including to all federal and state politicians and their departments, schools, parents, teacher training bodies, art organisations and networks.

To view the full report click here