What is the value of the arts in primary education?

I’m that Mum. The one screeching into a parking space outside the school gates, sprinting up the school drive, wild‐haired and wild‐eyed, tripping over the buggy, bloody hungry because as usual I didn’t allow enough time for Breakfast, ushering my eldest, B, through the school door with all of 2.9 seconds to spare. Hollering ‘I LOVE YOU’ as he goes, and then murmuring it quietly as I turn my attention to the baby and meander back down the hill to the car.

The point is that I am about as far removed from someone who could impart wisdom and learning as it is possible to be. I am not a teacher. I am probably best categorised as a loveable (hopefully) idiot. Being brutally honest, helping B with his 5 times table and practising his magic Es has driven us both to eye‐twitching stand‐offs and only confirmed my admiration for anyone who teaches. It’s a tough gig and whilst I am in no way qualified to comment on the ins and outs of the system you work within; what I can offer as a rambling, caffeine‐fuelled, wild‐haired lunatic, are my thoughts from the other side on the role of the arts in primary education.

We’re almost two years into the primary education system. As a Mum, it’s been challenging. B is a funny, articulate, creative child. He is also painfully sensitive, naturally anxious and a thinker. He needs a little time to work through a concept in his head in order to grasp it with confidence. School has not been an easy transition, because whilst there are so many things he is great at, the things that haven’t come naturally are the things our system state are THE ONLY THINGS, and these things must be mastered quick sharp so that one can then move onto the next things.

Reading and writing have come slowly but surely with a lot of support from his brilliant Year 1 teacher and extra work from us behind the scenes. Maths has been easier, but still not easy.

As a parent it’s not an easy thing to watch your child pushed down a linear model of learning that makes them question themselves, eats into their self‐confidence, and absolutely fails to recognise them as an individual. As a kind, thoughtful, imaginative boy who can build any Lego kit you present to him. A child with a wide vocabulary, a natural desire to understand how things are built and work, and a huge love for being outdoors. Just not as quick as some of his peers to master the spelling of apparently crucial words like trustfund and desktop.

I had an interesting conversation recently with a friend of mine who remarked that as far as she can see we’re setting a generation of children up without the tools they will need to flourish in the jobs market. I think she’s right. In 10 years time, strong careers won’t be built on the same foundations they were 10 years ago. The success stories of B’s generation will not be defined by the ability to use a time adverbial or recite number bonds up to 20. Their successes will be built on the ability to innovate, to think creatively and to problem solve. I don’t think our system as it stands has recognised this.

The chink of light for me comes in the shape of the arts. If B comes home with one story from the day, one thing he is proud of, it is something he has created. Maybe it’s a dance he’s come up with, or something he’s made, or a song he’s learning. The arts in general, music in particular, gives him space to breathe and time to be his own unique self. He can define his own successes, move in whatever direction he chooses and achieve to his own agenda; and this is where he flourishes. And maybe (just maybe) this little proportion of arts will give him everything he needs to go on and make his own success, because it will teach him the skills that his generation need – to create, to innovate, to be fluid in the way he thinks and responds.

And the baby? Before the baby could walk, before he could crawl, THE BABY COULD DANCE. From the earliest days, music has connected with both my boys. From nursery rhymes and the In The Night Garden theme to living room raves to The Crazy Frog, music matter to them, develops them and inspires them.

And it matters to me. I know from speaking to other parents and to friends who are teachers that the frustration is shared. The system is hard, and it is demoralising to watch funding slip away and with it the chance to give children a rich experience. But if you are a teacher who supports the arts in any way, I want you to know that it matters and we recognise that it does. Even the most disorganised, breakfast‐deprived parent sees and values the individuals who give our children the chance to achieve outside of the box.

So thank you, from me and B and the baby x

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@PrimaryMusicMag