Last Friday, I stated in my article the lackadaisical attitude towards arts in government schools in the UAE, where these subjects are not given much importance in the curriculum. The major reason for the lack of interest is believed to be related to the dearth of educational background of UAE nationals in the arts.
Neither a school programme nor any specialised art academy exists in the country and facilities for art activities are few and of low quality. At the same time, the school curriculum is short of specialisation in arts. The services provided by the private sector are very limited, while galleries and art performances are mostly commercial.
Education, being an essential tool for information dissemination, interest stimulation and revolutionary change, has not been aptly utilised to impact artistic/cultural perspectives among UAE's youth. This has crucial implications for both the quality and availability of indigenous workforce in that line.
There are limited schools for drama and theatre, music, and folklore. Insufficient emphasis is given to fine arts, literature, folklore, and heritage in the school curriculum. Commercial music institutes, in addition to being of questionable quality, are beyond the means of some UAE residents.
Although initiatives focused on the dilemma could have sparked a renewed public interest in culture and the arts, a lack of public interest is often the offered rationale for these academic limitations.
Under the existing situation, all types of various artistic activities are present in the Ministry of Education's curriculum. The ministry holds regular competitions where all parts of the country are represented. Nevertheless, the fault is identified with the schools' administrations due to the low interest in arts subjects and non-availability of specialised teachers.
As for non-classroom activities, there are scientific and fun events that are organised by pupils' councils, such as the Red Crescent, in an attempt to involve pupils in volunteering and philanthropy works. In addition special books are annually distributed to pupils by the Ministry of Education and pupils' activity management.
Main obstacle
The main obstacle which prevents the pupils' activity management from appropriately carrying out its activities is the lack of time as pupils are obliged to be present for seven hours a day, from Sunday to Thursday.
The long hours are attributed to the need to level up with the development of the current curriculum. The absence of national pupils for arts courses can be ascribed to many reasons, such as the shortage of suitable propaganda to promote their activities. Participating in night classes in activities which are supported by specialised concerns where pupils can find a breather in free centres of youth and sports welfare are also there.
Nevertheless, such activities might not be sufficient to polish pupils' creative talents in theatre, arts or literature. As for plastic arts in government schools, the main difficulty in improving the teaching of this kind of art is that it is based on creative thinking which requires the acceptance of society. Its growth is also hindered by the lack of financial support from large firms as self-financing is insufficient. Also, there is the difficulty of enhancing technical skills of teachers, which is crucial in any developing project.
Unfortunately, some art teachers know little about international artists and are unfamiliar with the works of reputed arts schools. Thus special sessions have to be held for art teachers and they should be subjected to courses in techniques and designing.
New activities
Today's pupil look for outlets to improve his/her capabilities. They are always attracted to new activities and modern techniques. Thus, painting tools and routine themes must be changed every year. They should be replaced by modern scientific methodology to complement the development of teaching, considering that all academic and artistic aspects are suitable for pupils of different ages.
The problem is that arts subjects are not presented as an activity. Thus teaching of arts in government schools has to be developed through several stages. First by reading and imitating paintings of local and international artists, so that a pupil can deeply understand the nuances of the painting. They should then draw a painting using the artist's style, but with the student's taste.
The second stage depends on developing contact with other cultures through drawing paintings which express their traditions and civilisations. This should be done with both, UAE or non-UAE symbols. The third stage should provide an opportunity for pupils, through creative artistic classes to practice novel drawing styles and model design.
The last stage should concentrate on colours and the beauty of dealing with them. Pupils have to become familiar with all the terminology of the art world and all relevant information about art schools. They have to be able to judge the aesthetic value of drawings, specify their features and sort out various styles of international artists. It is a must to upgrade and develop teaching skills at all levels to improve and polish the abilities of art teachers. This can be done through courses and seminars.
It is no longer enough to depend only on colour pencils and the sketch book. New tools, such as cardboards and pastel colours, should be made available to pupils. In addition to conducting classes to improve their ability and accuracy, pupils' attitude towards arts has to be changed by encouraging them to attend art exhibitions and holding special fairs in big trade centres. Such an exercise will give an exposure of the pupils' work to the public.
Dr Salim Mohammad is an independent Emirati writer, based in Dubai.
By Salim Mohammad, Special to Gulf News