Notes for now: The place of Art in the reorganised Education of Teachers

Abstract

In a symposium (1) published recently the question discussed is ";Is it necessary to make art in order to teach art?"; In whatever way one may be tempted to answer, there can be no doubt that the teacher who practices as an artist has knowledge of a kind which is denied to the non-practioner. At the most obvious level, he knows what he feels when making art. The experience is familiar to him. The non-practising artist who teaches must draw upon other experiences, which may be of comparable value. Indeed the very lack of direct personal experience of art-making may be a strong factor in the teacher's motivation, a dete'rmination, perhaps, to ensure that his pupils are not in their turn deprived. One has met teachers, eager to disclaim any knowledge of art, who were able nevertheless to provide for children the materials, the circumstances and the understanding which enabled them to make art. Whether they could be said to be teaching art is a question I shall not attempt to consider here.