Introduction :
The discourse on modernity which emphasises that human beings are geared towards creating a society based on the tenets of super speciality, objective knowledge, capitalistic drive, technical efficiency, quick results and competitive spirit leaves little space for the artistic growth. More so art is seen as antithetical in the contemporary times. It is termed as traditional, old-fashioned and highly subjective. It is also seen as a part of an elitist section of the society and not catering to the masses reducing it to be popular only amongst a selective few who are considered to be gifted with artistic sensibilities.
Art is interpreted as some kind of a luxury as against the day-to-day needs of a human being which have to be looked after first. This existential thought limits a person to strive towards acquiring a secured life (food, shelter, security), and leaves no space for him to indulge in ‘higher’ forms of aesthetic expression.
Following this line of thought the present day education system is focussed on preparing students for a highly competitive world which is structured around market driven economy. Curriculum is compartmentalised as sciences, commerce and humanities leaving no space for art education. There are hardly any schools which incorporate art education as a part of basic education system. By bracketing art forms into extra-curricular activities they are doing a lip-service to the idea of giving a child a holistic education.
This paper questions the idea of education in a child’s development. It attempts to understand the place of art in the over-all training of a student. The discussion touches upon the idea of knowledge in a curriculum based set-up, identity-formation in education, theory of multiple intelligence, the relationship between tradition and modernity, role of media in contributing towards art appreciation, parent’s contribution in nurturing the artistic sensibilities of a child and consequences of an educational system which is devoid of art,. The paper contextualises the discussion in the present day Indian society and attempts to briefly explain why and how is art a basic need of every human being.
• Idea of knowledge in a curriculum based set-up
In a country like ours - which has been nurtured by many civilisations, which speaks innumerable dialects, which practices diverse religions, which shares distinct lifestyles - it is indeed difficult to define the idea of knowledge which can be compartmentalised and presented in a concise manner within a formal education system. We are also a product of a colonial heritage which has percolated deep into the present day society. How it has affected our education system is evident from the following words of Penny Mackeon
‘Macaulay argued in 1835 that providing education based on Sanskrit and Arabic in India is of no use for India’s development, and argued instead for education based on English literature. He envisaged creating, “a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect”. The Minute is based on an idea that English education is not just superior in ‘science’, but would also inculcate superior morals, etc. that were responsible for making the English superior. We can see in the Minute, an early precursor for debates to come on the role of institutions in development.’
But it is important to question this very idea of development which was imposed on the people of India and its direct consequence can be seen in the way we situate our study of art in a curriculum based education. By targeting our classical languages, Macaulay hit at the very fabric that connects our multifaceted culture.
Now we are in an education system which partitions knowledge and expects children of various cultural, social and economic backgrounds to fit into a regiment which caters to a market driven society. Children are engineered to gain information and reproduce it in ways which are conducive to the present times. Britzmen comments
(This) curriculum organization is fragmented into instructional activities reduced to discrete blocks of time, thereby isolating subject areas and teachers, abstracting knowledge from its socio-cultural roots and political consequences, and decontextualizing knowledge and skills from their practical existences’
Which explains why children are made to absorb knowledge and re-cycle it rather that trained ‘how to think’ (Sullivan). The education system seems to work under a constraint of serving a dominant ideology which expects it to cater to the activities of a contemporary society. Seldom do educationists realise the purpose of education and especially the role of art in it. They neglect the fact that arts can contribute in giving a child a better sense of reality. As Don H. Krug and Nuhit Cohen Evron reflect
The arts contribute to this inquiry by adding knowledge from aesthetics, art criticism, art history, and art production. An important characteristic is its emphasis on personal and collective interpretations of a subject, idea, or theme. These interpretations help contextualize and broaden the range of meanings of a particular area of study. Interpretations through the arts can increase student’s opportunities to view realities other than as the organization of objective facts.
Different thinkers have commented on the role of art in understanding society and its relevance in education. Gandhi wanted art and higher learning to be social responsibilities only so far as they have a social utility whereas Tagore believed much of art and higher education must to be completely unrelated to society's immediate needs. Humayun Kabir explains that for
Tagore, the mind is nourished in truth; the imagination is nourished in art; and the world of relationship is nourished in sympathy for the created universe.
The aesthetic sense became the synthetic principle in his conception of holistic learning.
Earlier the Indian society functioned in a syncretic manner wherein the arts were incorporated into the daily life as a part of a child’s knowledge but now there is a clear cut demarcation wherein education is rated as essential and art as a vocation. It is this secondary treatment given to arts which curbs the artiste in many children, stifles their potential and limits their capabilities. Devi Prasad says,
We are facing the consequences of Keynesian theory which led the West towards pursuit of economic happiness and rejected morality, thus gearing education to greed and deceit
• Idea of identity
Following questions are intrinsic to the idea of education because they delve into the concept of identity – of an individual and the collective.
What kind of person is a child trained to become? How is this training addressed to her role in a collective? How is a sense of belonging inculcated in the education set -up? How does education develop a feeling of responsibility in the child towards one’s history, culture, and ethos?
School is a place where children from different backgrounds collect to share a part of them in order to re-invent themselves in the present day world. This active engagement between students is very crucial in building a sense of identity in a child. Children share a ‘syncretic experience’ which allows them to not only grow together but also develop their individual identity wherein art plays a very crucial role as it engages in
building an under- standing of the nature of perception, the capacity for reasoning (Ralph Smith 1970 )
We construct ‘stacks of knowledge’ in a system of education at various levels. Cole explains how each child is a product of a lineage which has a bears on her psyche. She brings with her a baggage of her culture and a sense of individuality which slowly flowers when she comes in contact with others. This interaction which takes place within a geographical area and a disciplined curriculum leaves lasting imprints on her which she carries forward in other walks of her life. It is this very interaction which acquires a unique dimension once art education in incorporated in it. The sensitive quality and aesthetic appeal of arts make knowledge acquisition a multi-sensory experience which not only nurtures a child’s personality but connects her to a wider spectrum called society.
The identity crisis which many children of the present generation are facing is because they are exposed to western culture on all fronts. Without being given grounding in their indigenous cultural expression in form of inputs into religion, aesthetics, art, philosophy their sensibilities are just being eroded by cultural symbols and images which do not form a part of an Indian thought. These children live here but dream of West. They are completely alienated from the cultural fabric which binds us as a thriving civilization. They have a very limited understanding of who they really are. –what does it mean to be an Indian and how has this nation evolved. It is this
‘serious shrinkage of background knowledge and information that people bring to their efforts in communicating with and understanding one another.’ (Smith 1968)
An art form is not just and expression. It is the culmination of many sensibilities across time and space. It is the crystallised form of a collective history; it is an expression of a continued dialogue between the individual and the collective. Because the child does not get introduced to different forms of arts and is only exposed to images of the here and now, her link with a cultural continuum is lost. She does not have any grounding as an individual. Neither can she relate to her past nor does she have a sense of direction regarding her future. A limited understanding of herself shrinks her world into an existentialist reality which is manipulated by the dominant forces of society. It is a calculated and well thought of agenda of these forces to keep people ignorant and culturally deplete so that they can be pushed into thinking and acting in a desired manner. People are used as puppets.
Hence it is crucial now more than ever that a child is given a sound footing in her heritage which is only possible if she is educated in arts.
•Theory of multiple intelligence
Human beings can think in myriad ways. They are a storehouse of many talents. No two human beings are the same. These sentences might sound like clichés but it is very important to understand that in the present educational system all the children are
expected to think in limited number of ways which can help them score marks in their exams and later secure a seat in a covetable university. The entire education system is geared towards pruning the sensibilities of children and preparing them for a harsh world which only understands the language of higher and higher percentages, digress from acclaimed seats of knowledge and high salary jobs in some prestigious companies. The education system does not give enough space for a child to get in touch with the artiste in her. In fact there is deliberate effort to curb the artistic potential of a child and make her master subjects which fall into the framework of the present day knowledge. Why should a child who might be good in painting, or sculpture, or dance, music made to go through the regimented course schedule of 12 years ? Why cannot she be trained in that specific area of knowledge and allowed to specialise in that field ? All the acclaimed minds in sports or arts are not university products. Point is how many individuals can afford to break away form the system and follow their pursuits – very few. It is the fault of the system which has not generated multiple systems of knowledge; Howards Gardner came up with the theory of multiple intelligences which says that IQ is not the only scale to measure a child’s intelligence. According to him, there are 7 intelligences which influence the workings of a mind. They are ,
1. Linguistic intelligence (as in a poet);
2. Logical-mathematical intelligence (as in a scientist);
3. Musical intelligence (as in a composer);
4. Spatial intelligence (as in a sculptor or airplane pilot);
5. Bodily kinesthetic intelligence (as in an athlete or dancer);
6. Interpersonal intelligence (as in a salesman or teacher);
7. Intrapersonal intelligence (exhibited by individuals with accurate views of themselves).
Since the traditional schools only emphasise on logistics and linguistic intelligence the way they teach only revolves around these two aspects. They do not explore other forms of knowledge which can train children in different skills. It is also important to understand that a child can be good in maths and also in music, she can dance and do chemistry, he can play very good piano and excel in computer networking. The education system does not bring together different intelligences thereby limiting not only the potential of the child but also the possibilities of her excelling in multiple fields.
Devi Prasad comments that
for the balanced growth of the personality of the child, the growth of the mind, and the body should be inter linked and integrate
• Relationship between tradition and modernity
Arts are treated as a mis-fit in today’s jet set world. Youngsters criticise art forms by labelling them as boring, archaic, old-fashioned, fossilised, slow, and esoteric. Parents who actually grew in a society, in which these arts thrived, are caught in their own confused state of mind as they want to connect to their children but do not want to invest time in inculcating artistic sensibilities because it takes effort and patience.
The popular belief now is to let go of past in order to connect to present in an anticipation for a better future. But this understanding of modernity is highly biased and incomplete. It emerges out of a cultural vacuum which fills the lives of many people because they have lost touch with their ethos.
A person is always a part of a legacy. The responsibility rests on the education system to preserve her legacy by teaching her how to connect to it, grow with it, embellish it and transform it into a new form with respect to space and time. If this link with the past is not established then a socio-cultural lacunae is formed which will keep widening
As Devi Prasad says
modern education based on the educational foundations laid during colonial period is expediting the rapid extinction of these traditions
Hence it becomes highly important that a conscious effort is made by policy makers, educationists, teachers and parents to incorporate art in the overall education of a child. Ralph Smith has clearly explained this in following words
The inculcation of a general capability and informed attitude toward both the art of one's own era and the art of the past in one's own and other cultures is a significant educational objective. The arts are important to the development of a rich personal lifeworld; they also contribute, together with other experiences, to an individual's ability to articulate the significance of personal life world values to others
Modernity germinated in Industrialization. Man started mastering the nature for his needs. This urge to go beyond nature, changing its motifs, modifying its expressions, bringing it into the fold of a mechanised world affected not only his relationship with nature but also how he related to fellow human beings. Human expressions which earlier tried imitating nature, which experienced her in different forms and ways, expressions which became a part of self-exploration slowly started to die out.
It is only in arts that people still see this connection between human being and nature. Art celebrates culture, which is born from the coming together of nature and human being. And Art Education is a process to understand culture. This network between human being , nature, culture and education is very important in a child’s growth and it is the responsibility of a society to nurture this network.
• Role of media in contributing towards art appreciation
Doordarshan as a public broadcaster of India is the only channel which telecasts programme on art and culture. THE HINDU is the only newspaper which focuses on cultural issues. Barring these two there is no space in print or on air which informs people about issues related to art. Contribution of Cyber space cannot be neglected but what children need is a well designed series of programmes on art and culture.
There are innumerable reality shows which claim to identify and nurture real talent in children, But at what cost? Children are put through tremendous pressure to perform well. They become stars of the nation overnight and by a popular voting are dropped out of the show the very next day hence playing as a victim into the hands of ‘consumerism of culture’.
Appalling are ways in which young children dance and sing all kinds of composition from Hindi movies. Neither do these songs suit a child’s age nor are they conducive for her /his sensibilities. But parents feel very proud that their ward is seen on a national channel. Producers of the show and cell phone companies make millions out of such shows. But the child gets victimised in many ways which does not alarm anyone. The entire nation silently witnesses innocence of young children being paraded on a television channel.
People still remember the cartoons of NFDC, aired in 1980s and 90s which talked about different issues - national integration, unity, diversity, education, team work, Simple and melodious lyrics touched everyone’s heart and communicated the message to one and all. It was a deliberate effort to educate children through stories, music and animation. The fact that people still remember those images speaks for the fact that arts can be entertaining and educative as well if packaged in a sensitive manner.
• Parent’s contribution in nurturing the artistic sensibilities of a child
Child gains knowledge from school but how this knowledge is integrated into the overall upbringing of a child is the responsibility of parents. John Dewey says that earlier there was not much difference between what the child studied and what she experienced but today there is wide gap between the two. Today’s parents want their children to master everything. They want their wards to score good marks, excel in sports, and get trained in dance or music. But most of them hardly spend time to actually understand what the child is capable of. There are parents who do make an effort to put their child for music or dance but only during vacations. The child is ‘socialized’ to think that arts are always secondary and a matter of hobby. Artistic sensibilities of children are hardly nurtured. Parents justify their act by blaming the system which insists that a child has to score 90% and above in order to get a seat in decent university for higher education. If the child fails to do so then there she/he has no future. This is entirely the fault of the system which insists on creating a work force out of its citizens. Art is never seen as a lucrative field for a job. This is partially true because there is no financial security for any artiste. Attached to this is the manner in which society rates arts. A software professional is considered to be reputed, intelligent, modern and talented but a musician is not.
It is a lack of government will to bring art and culture into the centre stage. There is no cultural policy. Setting up organisations like Sangeet Natak Akademi , Sahitya Kala Parishad will not make much difference if there is no concerted effort made by educationists, artistes, parents to urge the government to make art education mandatory.
Parents and the education system interpret art education as limited to learning some skills during few extra hours in school time table. This is a partial and shallow understanding of what art education means. It is branch of knowledge which gives a student an insight into understanding the human ontology. (Egan) Ralph Smith explains that art education is a form of value education with human experience at its centre. And it is this vintage point from where parents need to understand the place of art in a child’s upbringing.
• Consequences of an educational system which is devoid of art
The entire discussion leads to one moot question - what will happen to human society if art is not incorporated into education. Sadly there is no particular empirical way in which the consequences can be measured but this will surely affect the society in the long run. Children will loose out on cultural values. They will become puppets in the hands of a system which only wants intelligent yet unaware minds to keep the system running. Creative capabilities of children will be curbed because with creativity comes originality and the present system does not want individuals who can think on original lines. Devi Prasad reflects on why art should be made a part of curriculum.
Art is divorced from our daily life and it is necessary to incorporate it in education as its most important aim is to inculcate in every human being an awareness and sensitivity to all the aspects of our environment , and grace in everyday life
It is this lack of grace which is slowly affecting our cultural ethos. Individuals do not give importance to relationships. Values are masqueraded in the most artificial way. Importance is given to how much an individual can hoard and flaunt. Instant gratification has become the mantra of the day. The subtlety, depth, inward –looking qualities of arts are rarely nurtured in today’s child. Art education is about creativity, originality, developing a sense of wonder, persistence, and in-depth knowledge. Ralph Smith describes it as a critical activity which engages a child’s mind in description, analysis, interpretation and evaluation.
Experience in art is always a collective one which begins with an individual and spreads to everyone who comes in touch with his piece of creation. Art brings people together beyond geographical boundaries. It crosses all kinds of socio-cultural-economic barriers to connect people. Smith describes this art experiences
People can get things done n a general idea and standardized procedure but it is only when these things are absorbed in perceptual presence that a personal acquaintance is developed with the environment and the very experience becomes rich and intense
This phenomenon in philosophy of Indian art is called sadharanikaran - when a ‘particular’ becomes the ‘universal’. Art goes against the ‘atomised nature of social fabric’ and engulfs one and all in a heightened aesthetic experience.
Conclusion
Karl Marx says that
animals produce under the dominion of immediate physical need, whilst man produces even when he is free from physical need and only truly produces in freedom there from.
Like food, shelter, clothing and re-production art is a basic need of every human being. It is not related to the economic status of a person. Poor people also have their cultural expressions. With whatever little a woman has she still paints the walls of her hut with some motifs of nature.
Ralph Smith elucidates
One is reminded that "the cognitive, while contrasted with both the practical and the passive, does not exclude the sensory or the emotive, that what we know through art is felt in our bones and nerves and muscles as well as grasped by our minds, that all the sensitivity and responsiveness of the organism participates in the invention and interpretation of symbols.
Art is a human expression which reflects everything in nature and society. It is a multi-sensory experience of human sensibilities. And it is this very nature of art which makes it an inevitable part of a child’s growth. A child needs to experience herself in totality. She needs to develop a sense of wonder towards oneself and nature. She needs to grow as a sensitive human being and extend her sensitivity in everything that she does and art education gives her all possibilities for this kind of self-exploration. Avijith Pathak explains this beautifully.
To have aesthetic education is therefore, to restore meaning in life, to evolve a way of seeing, feeling and relating to the world .
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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