ABSTRACT

In the 1990s policy making in education in countries like Australia has been strongly influenced by the depressed economy and prolonged recession. This state of affairs has caused Governments to view education as a means to service the national economic interest. The result is that the arts subjects in the curriculum are clustered together and represent a diminished proportion of a crowded curriculum. Yet major curriculum theorists such as Eisner view the arts as a possible key to educational reform. Also, evidence shows that humans have always used the arts as a means of expression. The authors advocate for the right of children to have experience in each of the creative arts in the curriculum. Three starting points are suggested for including the arts in the basics of education.