Arts education is not a luxury, it's a necessity
Issued : Saturday 17 April, 2010
Statement by Phil Prendergast MEP
Labour holds a unique position in Irish society. It is indisputably Ireland's party of the arts. What other party can boast that their Party President is a poet, film-maker and broadcaster?
No better man than Michael D Higgins to exemplify the inextricable links between the arts and education. And no better party than Labour, with so many members drawn from the fields of both arts and education, to recognise that when it comes to education, the younger you get them the better.
And that means the teaching of arts at primary level needs to be more than ad hoc. It needs to be comprehensive.
One of the ways we can make this happen is through Arts in Education Centres supporting primary school teachers to deliver on the promise of classes in dance, drama, music and the visual arts.
It's worth remembering - indeed shouting it from the roof tops - that arts education is not a luxury - it's a necessity.
We have an obesity epidemic among children in this country. Good diet and exercise is the solution. It is understood there are core principles in sport but there are also core principles in the arts.
Where I am from in Clonmel we can prove it. Our marching band, Banna Cluainn Meala, has been teaching young people physical, as well as technical skills. They also learn the value of teamwork and discipline. The numerous awards Banna Cluain Meala has won for its music and fieldshows are a shining example of the value of Arts education.
And that value is about more than physical well being. If we are to build a smart economy we will need not just a well-trained workforce but a creative one.
Many opportunities in the information technology sector in particular, will be in media, entertainment, design and of course the arts industry itself.
Arts in Education Centres will help us exploit that opportunity.
And so in the interests of our future health and our future wealth, I heartily recommend this motion to the floor.
