CDT at Leeds Girls' High School

Abstract

For many years as an Art and Design teacher at Leeds Girls' High School I have been in a position to earn respect by joining my energy, willpower, devotion and enthusiasm to that of my pupils in mounting displays of work and producing large scale canvases and murals. I consider one of my major advantages to be this requirement to continually and publicly demonstrate the work of the department.

At the same time, I have been aware that one of the greatest dangers for a teacher trained in a Fine Art tradition, as I am, is that of too easily assuming that art is self justifying, because I spend so much of my time involved in it. The truth of the matter is that 'Art' as a generalised kind of activity is simply not enough to meet the needs of the majority of secondary school pupils.

Much has been said and written about the importance of 'visual literacy' and the significance of design education on todays schools. A cast iron case for Art and Design in the curriculum would a ppear to have been made. However, I believe that it will not produce lasting or meaningful results unless and until the pupils themselves recognise this significance.