Design and Craft Education, some fundamental questions: "Lacking an appreciation of the base, a sound grounding in craft skills, they have sought to extend the necessarily ephemeral qualities of design work into the school curriculum"

Abstract

Having had my attention drawn to the concern felt by craft teachers about recent developments in craft and design work in schools and, as the head of a department in which many of the ideas promoted by the Research and Development Project have been adopted as part of the normal programme of work, I feel able to comment on some aspects of Design and Craft Education that seem to need attention. It will be a tragedy if the main core of the work conducted by the Research and Development Project team becomes neglected because some of the ideas suggested provide convenient and vulnerable targes for criticism.

Perhaps the largest single area of concern is the emphasis on Design as an activity rather than Craft. (The cover of Vol 5 No.1 of Studies in Design Education and Craft with its stress on design education and the almost total exclusion of the word craft is indicative of an attitude that is worrying). Let me first admit, there are many partly formed ideas of what is meant by 'Design Education' in circulation. Some of these are quite erroneous and their holders are not confined to the teaching profession. I think it is now widely accepted that what has passed for craft education in the past did not attain the ideal at which it was aimed. (This is not a case for declaring that ideal invalid.) All too many pupils suffered a stifling experience. On the other hand, many pupils found fulfilment and great enjoyment but, very little has been mentioned of their experiences. (I am firmly convinced a large proportion of the ";do it yourself' movement has its basic roots in successful school craft activities on the part of many past pupils.) The main worry, therefore, is that too much emphasis has been, and is being, placed on Design. Craft, particularly craftsmanship, is in the process of being relegated to a secondary or, supporting role. The extension of this, of course, is that a construction on Design can easily be diverted into a predominately 'Art' approach. (The article ";Metropolis";, op.cit. illustrates this. I find the whole experiment, as described, an operation singularly devoid of attributes assoCiated with craft and craftsmanship. Most of the work carried out was of a transient nature. This approaches the ideas underlying much of what is called 'Art' today.) The number of College of Education craft courses absorbed into Art and Design departments is increasing and indicative of the trend. I have also heard arguments subjugating craftsmanship amongst the advocates of Technology and Craft ideas, particularly in some Project Technology regional circles. To me, it is increasingly significant that words expressing vague meanings like 'Technology' and 'Design' are replacing words having definite meanings. This is confirmation of a growing lack of certainty in educational thinking.