Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure the better integration of the arts into education and a broadening of the focus on science, technology, engineering and maths, STEM, into science, technology, engineering, arts and maths, STEAM; if he will expand the ambition and resourcing of the arts and education charter; and if he will continue to work to further enhance the position of arts subjects within the curriculum at primary and secondary level. [31305/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s National Skills Strategy 2025 was published by my Department in January 2016. The Strategy sets out the Government's commitment to improving and using skills for sustainable economic growth.  It outlines how we can develop a well-skilled, adaptable workforce that contributes to, shares in and benefits from opportunities of economic expansion. This strategy will ensure increased access to high quality and relevant education and training and skills development opportunities.  It will allow people to benefit from workplace learning and experience, and to enable effective participation by all in the economy and society. The Strategy states 'Students at all levels can be supported to apply their creativity and curiosity to scientific issues. They will be encouraged to consider science and technology within a wider context and to draw in insights from other studies such as the humanities, for example through cross-disciplinary project work. Options can also be offered for STEM students to take non STEM elective subjects that pique their curiosity. This crossover of arts-related subjects with STEM, sometimes referred to as STEAM, can make science more relevant to day-to-day situations and can help prepare students for the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of research activity (both within academia and industry). The Arts in Education Charter will support this approach at school level'.

The Arts in Education Charter, launched in 2013, has been a landmark development in relation to the promotion of arts education and arts in education in Ireland.  The Charter is an initiative of my Department, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, working in association with the Arts Council.  My Department is involved in ongoing liaison with the Department of Arts, Heritage Regional, Rural and  Gaeltacht Affairs on the implementation of the Arts in Education Charter objectives. The Programme for a Partnership Government also recognises the Charter as providing an unprecedented opportunity for children and young people to engage in a proactive and meaningful way with arts in education in Ireland and commits to its implementation. Good progress has been made on implementation of the Charter objectives, as set out below under a number of key headings.

A – Under the auspices of the Charter, quality arts in education integration is teaching and learning in which arts learning and other academic learning are connected and deepened. Arts integration results in students engaging in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both while enhancing self-confidence, team working, risk taking and creative skills. Learning experiences in the arts contribute to the development of academic skills. Integrating the arts into the broader STEM curriculum provides pathways for personal meaning-making and self-motivation. It brings a cross-disciplinary, integrated focus on learning that engages and inspires students, brings students with diverse interests together in a team environment, and encourages imaginative, innovative, and critical thinking towards solving problems.

B -The Arts in Education Portal (www.artsineducation.ie): Ireland's first Arts in Education Portal, the key national digital resource for arts in education in Ireland and a major resource for arts education in Irish schools, was launched in May 2015. 

C - Teacher – Artist Partnership as a model for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) initiative: An important development is the more focused attention to helping artists and teachers to develop together their understanding, expertise and creative pitch for arts in education work for children at different age levels.  A significant initiative in this regard was the initiation in 2014 by the Charter Group of a pioneering programme of joint teacher - artist collaboration in continuing professional development.  The scheme, ‘Exploring Teacher Artist Partnership as a Model of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Supporting and Enhancing Arts Education’, commenced in 2014. It is intended that the Education Centres, responsible for local delivery of national programmes of teacher professional development on behalf of my Department, will have the capacity to implement this model locally and regionally into the future.

D - Artists in Residencies in Higher Education Institutions: Significant developments regarding arts in education for initial teacher education have also been taking place.   Higher education institutions, particularly colleges of education, have been extending their offerings of arts in education courses and experience for student teachers.  The provision of a set of 'artists in residency' bursaries by the Arts Council, for such institutions, has been a major boost to this work.

E - Artists-Schools Guidelines: The Artists-Schools Guidelines were originally published in 2006. A number of changes have occurred in the arts in education landscape in Ireland since the Guidelines were first published.  A significant change arising from the Charter is the launch of a national digital resource for the arts in education at www.artsineducation.ie.   Given this changing landscape, the Arts Council, on behalf of the Implementation Group of the Arts in Education Charter, is currently reviewing the Artists-Schools Guidelines to examine whether and how they should be updated to continue to act as a useful resource. 

F - ARIS – Arts Rich Schools: The Arts in Education Charter charges the Arts Council, in co-operation with the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht and my Department, with the promotion of Arts Rich Schools (ARIS).  According to the Charter – ‘ARIS will incentivise and recognise those schools (primary and post-primary) which in a range of ways make the arts a key part of school life and place the arts centrally within the life of the school community affecting pupils primarily but also teachers, parents, other staff and community.’ A working group is assisting with the development of Arís and the development of a feasible implementation plan for a first phase of Arts over three years (2017-2019). 

G - Music Generation: The Music Generation initiative is co-ordinated and managed by Music Generation Ltd. through its National Development Office. Between 2010 and 2015, 11 Music Generation Music Education Partnerships (MEPs) were established as part of Phase 1 of the initiative, with the aim to provide non-mainstream vocal and instrumental music tuition for young people. In 2015, Music Generation Ltd. announced Phase 2 of the initiative during which up to 9 additional new MEPs will be established over the period from 2016 up to 2020. Initial funding for 50% of Phase 1 of the Music Generation initiative came from philanthropic sources with the remaining 50% funding from MEPs, with the Exchequer taking up 50% funding after 3 years. Phase 2 will be similarly funded.

H - Non-mainstream Music Education Bursary Scheme: The Department of Education and Skills also established the new Non-mainstream Music Education Bursary Scheme in February 2016, worth €50,000. The Purpose of the scheme is to provide support by way of a cash grant to established, smaller-scale, non-mainstream music education/community music initiatives with limited or no access to other forms of public funding.

I - School Policies: The Charter envisages that schools, in their school policies and plans, shall incorporate arts in education opportunities as an important aspect of enriching the curriculum and the wider life of the school.  Schools will be assisted by my Department in this aspect of their school planning and self-evaluation. Making provision for arts in education practice will also be reflected in the design and equipping of school buildings.  The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has also established reciprocal partnership with the Arts Council in the promotion of the arts in schools, as set out in the Charter.