News from the New Party

Balls on culture

All who are concerned at the use of evidence obtained by torture will have shuddered at John Humphrys' comprehensive mauling of the unfortunate Culture Secretary Andy Burnham on this morning's Today programme on BBC Radio 4.  Still, if Burnham learns a lesson or two about turning up on national radio with quite such a weak brief then the experience will not have been entirely in vain.

The cause of Burnham's misfortune is a new scheme to give all schoolchildren access to five hours of "top quality culture" every week.  A £25 million pilot project under the aegis of Arts Council England will guarantee children in ten locations in England five hours or cultural activities a week.

On the Today programme Burnham expressed the view that all children should have the opportunity to engage in creative writing, to learn a musical instrument or perform in a play - and that professionals in the arts should be brought in to schools.  Humphrys' complaint was that the education system should be doing much of this anyway.  How many schools don't put on some kind of play once a year?  How many don't require students to engage in creative writing?  How many schools don't have music lessons?  Burnham, who is not the Education Secretary - was lost.

Burnham's colleague Ed Balls, who isn't the Education Secretary either, but rather the Secretary of State for Children, Families and, er, Schools, is clear about what he wants - but not clear about why we're not already getting it:

"All children and young people should have the chance to experience top quality culture - whether that is seeing a play or dance performance, learning a musical instrument or producing some creative writing.

"Many of us remember the first ever live music we heard or the first ever performance we saw.

"I want all young people to have the chance to experience and take part in creative activities to help them learn and develop."

Unsurprisingly the teachers' unions have noticed that five hours a week indulging in additional cultural activities might be hard to shoe-horn into the school day:

The general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, Mick Brookes, told the BBC there were practical difficulties.

"There'll be thousands of Year 6 children - 10 or 11-year-olds - going to school today to rehearse for their Sats [national curriculum tests] in May," he said.

"Now, I think it would be much better to have a day doing poetry, listening to music and having those cultural experiences but the government needs to free schools up from the constrictures that they've put on them at the moment."

Other teachers' leaders are equally unimpressed:

Geraldine Everett, national chairwoman of the Professional Association of Teachers and a teacher and inclusion consultant in the East Midlands, said: "This is an admirable intention but naive. It is fine-sounding rhetoric but demonstrates little understanding of the practical issues."

The proposal was first announced last year in the government's Children's Plan, which set out the goals for education policy over the next decade.

Dr John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said everyone would want young people to engage more in positive activities but it would be impossible for schools to provide every pupil with five hours of such activities per week.

He said: "There are not enough hours in the day to provide an entitlement to five hours of cultural activities, plus five hours of sport, in addition to the rest of the curriculum.

"Where parents cannot, or will not, support their children in this way, schools will do their very best to help the young people grow up as balanced individuals with a wide range of interests.

"But schools cannot work miracles - and convincing some of these children to engage in five hours a week of cultural activities would indeed be a miracle."

Would it also be a miracle to create a quality education system which incorporates cultural activity and appreciation within the existing curriculum?  Are eye-catching gimmicks and unrealistic aspirations an acceptable substitute?  Ask the Education Secretary, if you can find one.