In "Teaching Critical Thinking," bell hooks (2010) addresses education as the practice of freedom by explaining that we use "our intellect and our imaginations to forge new and liberatory ways of knowing, thinking, and being, to work for change" (p. 170). Speaking to the arts, Maxine Greene (1995) said that "of all our…

Late 19th-century Germany was shaped by industrialisation, technological progress, and urbanisation. Crises of modernisation resulted in a widespread criticism of civilisation that provided ground for the rise of numerous reform movements in various social contexts. They reacted to crises of their time by questioning established conventions,…

The serious need for reform of the Leaving Certificate Art Curriculum in Ireland sets the context for this article, which tracks the social and political factors that shaped the emergence of art education in Ireland before and after the formation of the Free State. This historical framing creates the background for the training of art teachers…

This paper reviews some of the social, historical, and political forces and events that influenced the development of Bennett Reimer's early philosophy of music education in the late 1950s and continuing to his death in 2013. John Dewey's ideas about the moral and political purposes of art education are employed as critical tools for understanding…

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has changed the face of education in America. Now that the law is coming up for renewal, it is time to deal with the problems and inequities it has created. In this article, the author discusses the two factors at work that NCLB has failed to address: the student and the parent. She also discusses how art can help in…

Education is never a passive, autonomous, or static activity. It manipulates, as much as it is manipulated, and reflects specific contexts. Education histories document continuities and changes over time, and are able to throw light on and inform contemporary practice. Prompted by perspectives on curriculum as a social and cultural construction,…

Today, "connoisseurship" conjures up images of fusty old men in tweeds arguing over ancient etchings or perhaps the patter of opera buffs as they pass bejeweled into the night. Connoisseurship is neither fashionable nor politically correct. It signifies a focus on works of art rather than issues of power and is foreign to a cultural…

Introduces articles from a symposium concerning art education policies in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Explains that each of the authors present an overview of ideologies and trends for the respective countries over the past 40 years and examine how these trends affect the missions, agendas, and practices of arts educators. (CMK)

The dynamics of art and education are correlated with Naisbitt's ten points of social restructuring. The future art curriculum should honor the arts individually for their uniqueness and also look at them in a comprehensive manner based on today's trend towards more holistic solutions to social and economic problems. (Author/RM)

Investigates the development of arts education in Singapore considering the role of multicultural policies and the government. Indicates that the growing interest in the arts, due to increasing economic affluence, and the goal of making Singapore a "Global City for the Arts" spurred the further development of arts education. (CMK)

Examines seven controversial issues in art education and sets them in a larger social context to help identify their contributions to art education. Concludes that art education should include all art forms from all cultures, develop more interaction between people in theory and practice, and extend the use of social and behavioral sciences. (KM)

Discusses the current state of arts education that is characterized by lack of cultural education, the integration of arts into instruction by classroom teachers, and the bad bargains schools have made to get the arts back. Explores the option of out-of-school arts programs and opening the doors to opportunities in the arts. (CMK)

Contends that questions about power and who has it dominated U.S. political and social discourse. Discusses five aspects of power and art: (1) three power/art relationships; (2) the struggle between individuals and systems; (3) power applications; (4) current power contexts; and (5) major futures issues. (CFR)

Asserts that, in the fields of the arts and education, the United States faces an intersection of opportunities to bring the arts into education with more depth. Maintains that the arts are essential for effective living today. Discusses Hannah Arendt's three forms of human activity--labor, work, and action--and relates the role of the arts to…

Considers the interrelationship between ownership and manipulation of information, arts education, and the expansion of electric and information sources. Explains various ways that information can be controlled or restricted. Discusses problem areas of copyright and access and includes several suggested approaches. (MJP)