APPG inquiry recommends action on decline of arts education

An inquiry commissioned by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Art, Craft and Design in Education has published recommendations to reverse a decline in the provision of art and design subjects.

The Art Now inquiry, published last week, is the culmination of research conducted between spring 2020 and 2023 which found 76% of 1,860 art and design teachers surveyed were considering leaving the profession.

The report’s recommendations, based on evidence uncovered through the inquiry, begin with addressing the deficit in art and design primary teacher education and also calls for investment in subject-specific professional development for art and design teachers.

The recommendations continue arguing for a concerted effort to improve art and design teacher wellbeing and workload, after four out of five teachers surveyed said that wellbeing and workload were the biggest disincentives to stay in teaching, and that both had worsened since the pandemic.

The recruitment, retention and representation of art teachers must also be addressed, the report says, after the inquiry uncovered a lack of staff diversity and representation.

Suggested measures included bursaries for all subjects, early-career mentoring of those who are under-represented in the profession, as well as teacher education and recruitment programmes that can help promote anti-racist practice in art and design.

The final recommendation says further investigation is needed into the impact of the pandemic on lost learning in art and design, and the effects of the cost-of-living crisis on disadvantaged learners.

It follows just one in ten inquiry respondents saying they had not experienced negative changes resulting from the pandemic.

“I heartily agree with these recommendations,” said Michele Gregson, General Secretary and CEO of the National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD), which served as secretariat to the APPG.

“It is a matter of real urgency that the government gains a full understanding of the underlying issues. We are heading for a crisis in recruitment of subject specialists, but also a curriculum crisis.”

Next steps

As to acting on the recommendations contained in the report, Secretary to the APPG on Art, Craft and Design in Education, Susan M Coles, told Arts Professional most responsibility lies with the government and the Department for Education (DfE).

“The workload issue is across the teaching profession as a whole. Until there is change in demands made of teachers by the current system of accountability, workload remains a major problem for many,” Coles added.

“The national curriculum model for art and design is outdated and in need of a complete update and re-write.”

The DfE has yet to react to the report, Coles said, adding that “all recommendations will be shared with key policy makers, current and future”.

Coles also said the APPG plans to approach parties to share the findings with a view to influencing 2024 general election manifestos, and added the Labour Party is expected to be sharing a statement soon called ‘Labour's Creativity Pledge’.

‘Grim reading’

Gregson told Arts Professional the inquiry’s findings “makes for grim reading in many ways”.

“The impact of more than a decade of government policy has diminished the status of art, craft and design education in English state schools,” she added.

“We already know that exam entries for art and design have been falling pretty much year on year since 2008. Provisional entries for this year in GCSE and A Level have fallen by 3%. Recruitment for teachers for the coming academic year has hit an all-time low, with the TSM (teacher supply model) forecast to hit just 49%.”

“The inquiry certainly paints a picture of a demoralised workforce. The impact on learners and on our civic society is immeasurable,” Gregson said.

Gregson called on the government to remove the Ebacc and accountability measures “that have caused so much harm”.

“They would do well to look to the example of Wales and Scotland and embark on wholescale curriculum and system reform, in consultation with teachers and learners, and build an education system fit for the future, with creative arts given the status they need.”