In Australia, Education Takes Dramatic New Course
Submitted by Steve on July 11, 2012
From Bianca Hall at The Age:
For the first time, all Australian students will study dance, drama, media arts, music and the visual arts until year 10, under a draft new national curriculum released yesterday.
A spokesman for the national curriculum reporting authority, ACARA, said all schools would be required to offer those subjects to students, but schools would have some discretion as to how they taught them.
The Education Minister, Peter Garrett, said making the arts a key part of the new national curriculum would have “huge” positive impacts for students.
“I've been a passionate advocate of the importance of arts as part of a comprehensive, well-rounded education,” he said. “Learning subject areas like music and drama inspires creativity, encourages young people to think critically, helps develop their sense of identity and can provide great benefits for learning in other core areas.”