David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his policy on how drama in primary and secondary schools is to be supported and developed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14591/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Working through the arts helps to nurture and develop cognitive, communicative, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social, and spiritual intelligence and skills. Arts education in primary schools, through drama and also the subjects of music, visual arts and through language, provides opportunities for a child to express ideas, feelings and imaginative insights, to make sense of and express his/her world in visual tangible form; and to make, listen and respond to art.

At post-primary level, drama is one of the dimensions of language subjects along with literature, poetry and film, which provide an important vehicle for self expression and creativity, and a way of bringing to the fore themes of everyday life which warrant exploration and group discussion as part of the learning process. This education also builds foundation skills in a key vocational/business sector of the economy. The artists in schools guidelines, developed jointly by the Arts Council and my Department, provide practical help for primary and post primary schools on how to plan and implement "arts in education" practice. This is where practising artists give of their time and expertise to work closely with schools, and students get the opportunity to get real experience of the arts in action in communities, both as visitors and participants.