vantaan_kuvataidekoulu_tilaa-prosessi

The 1980s was a significant affiliate in the history of Finnish art education. And then, a new schoolhouse system, art schools for children and young people, was founded outside the collective all-round didactics school. In my article I will tell most the origin, reasons and consequences of fine art schools. Today, functioning according to the original task of the art school is also organised in educational institutes other than special fine art schools for children and young people e.g. civic and workers' institutes. In the 1990s, when schools and institutes started to organise education for children and immature people outside the comprehensive school as well in the fields of handicraft, compages, cinema, dance, performing arts (theatre and circus) and literary fine art, the Finnish National Board of Education created a concept called basic education of art that covers all the in a higher place-mentioned fields of art as well every bit certainly as well music and fine art.

Art schools for children and young people in Republic of finland – a new phenomenon in the field of art education

In the founding phase of art schools over 25 years ago a grouping of art teachers, artists and parents of children joined their forces to start a grassroots-level movement whose objective was to organise art education for children and young people. In the bully school reform in the early on 1970s when Republic of finland switched its school system to a ix-twelvemonth comprehensive school the number of art subjects was sharply reduced in the curriculum. At the same time subject teachers started to teach students every bit tardily as upper secondary schoolhouse onwards or grades 7, 8 and 9 (13-15 yr-olds), while in the old schoolhouse system they taught every school class from 11 years onwards. In grade ix art education became optional with music. Through their ain association art teachers were strong advocates of art as an all-circular educational schoolhouse subject field for all students, simply they lost the boxing.

Equally a issue of the situation a state of will emerged, and since 1978 art teachers started to quickly found art schools. Successful operation of music institutes made art teachers enquire themselves, what would happen if target-oriented and persistent art education would start already for young children? Should not possibilities be organised also for children interested in visual arts to develop their skills?

At that place was a neat demand for fine art pedagogy outside the comprehensive schoolhouse, otherwise it cannot be explained why the art schoolhouse was "discovered" simultaneously all beyond Finland. Therefore, we cannot name one person in detail that was the founder of the art school; on the contrary, there was a big group of initiators that adopted a serious mental attitude towards fine art education.

Municipalities, individual persons, art associations, supporters' associations of art schools and artist organisations founded art schools. And so, immediately from the beginning there were both municipal as well as private art schools. Founding of art schools required great amounts of sacrificing piece of work, religion in fine art didactics and skills to justify the necessity of the project. Unesco'southward International Twelvemonth of the Child was celebrated in 1979, and it forced decision-makers to listen to matters apropos children. An economic boom prevailed in the state, and as a effect municipalities were willing to plant new services. When big cities joined in the projection an art school was considered a necessity also in smaller localities. It seemed that smaller municipalities were thinking: If there are art schools for children elsewhere, why don't we start one likewise!

Forward together!

The operation was started in art schools with a make clean slate, because the founders were, indeed, creating a schoolhouse form that had never earlier existed. The founders had to rely on their own reason, feel and help of colleagues in all matters apropos schoolhouse management. In municipalities the school and civilization administration gave somewhat free hands to the persons planning of opening an art school. The purpose, objectives, contents, competences of didactics staff, premises and countless other questions were discussed hither and there, and also together within bigger groups.

In spring 1981 the Art Schoolhouse of Espoo organised a national seminar in Hanasaari Cultural Centre, which wide circles interested in the matter (among others, representatives of artist organisations, cultural boards and higher educational activity institutes, in improver to art teachers) participated in to talk over the future of art schools. The seminar made a proposal to the Ministry of Education to appoint a piece of work group to discuss the status of art schools, but the piece of work grouping was never appointed.

A development piece of work grouping for art schools was founded in the start collective meeting of art schools in Joensuu in 1982. Principal Tuomo Airasmaa acted as chairman, Päivi Fredriksson acted as secretary and the members were made upward of leaders and teachers of art schools. The piece of work group received a grant from the Ministry of Pedagogy from grants allocated to the promotion of children's civilisation, and it drew up a written report titled Art schools for children and young people – background and development objectives (1985). In the report information technology notes that a coherent education system is missing in the field of fine art. "A kid interested in art or a young person aiming at vocational education must move from a guild, found or a school to a another, and the art instruction offered in them is not always neither target-oriented nor connected to the previous education." (Work grouping Airasmaa et al 1985, vii.) When even civic and workers' institutes did not organise art educational activity for children and young people at the time, the work group presented that a coherent education system exist created for fine art.

An involvement group of art schools

An active group of art schools realised relatively early that an clan was required to supervise the interests of the schools. The Finnish Clan of Art Schools for Children and Immature People was founded in 1982 to operate as an interest grouping of the schools. Its fundamental task in the coming years was reporting and negotiation with the government on matters apropos assertion of the status of art schools. The clan had an essential role in edifice a new school arrangement, in which it was central to push the country subsidies and the Act on art schools. At the same time an important task of the association was to organise education for teachers and principals of fine art schools besides as to assemble developers of the schools together to make proposals and definitions of policy or to plan the hereafter of the art schools.

A various representation has been taken into consideration since the beginning in the functioning of the Finnish Clan of Art Schools for Children and Immature People. The members of administrative boards and work groups have been called from across Republic of finland, from pocket-size and large, municipal and individual schools. Annual preparation days and meetings organised by the association take too been held in unlike localities and so that the staff of art schools have been able to familiarise themselves with each other's working environments.

During the past decade the clan started to found connections with foreign institutes providing fine art education for children and immature people and to organise study visits and seminars also abroad. During the 2000s the association has started co-operation with like associations in other fields of art.

The task of the art school for children and immature people and the Act on Basic Instruction of Fine art

The above-mentioned development piece of work grouping for art schools defined the art schoolhouse for children and young people for the first time.

" An art school for children and young people is an educational institute whose job is to offer all-round art education that develops the overall personality for children and young people of 5-xvi years of age, to support and broaden the fine art didactics offered in nursery schools and comprehensive schools every bit well as to create preconditions for vocational instruction of fine art and other visual arts.

Art schools provide target-oriented basic education of fine art that progresses in accordance with the curriculum taking the level of evolution of the educatee into consideration likewise as offer avant-garde special studies." (Piece of work group Airasmaa et al 1985, 75).

The need for a definition of the fine art schoolhouse increased, because of the before-mentioned disorganised situation. Art schools wanted to be distinguished from guild activity, and they cringed at identification with anything classified as pottering or hobby activeness. The definition has a certain emphasis on the word 'educational institute' – it is a quarter organising serious activity.

The "all-round art pedagogy that develops the overall personality" mentioned in the definition referred to the fact that schools were ready to take in whatever child or young person that only had enthusiasm and motivation to engage in art as a pupil. The education did not want to be developed necessarily into vocational education that would produce pocket-size starting artist, but rather the education in the art school was considered to benefit any child or young person whether his/her life career was going to be in the field of fine art or non. The teaching provided was all-round teaching, and at the same time of such high quality that it "created preconditions" too afterward to possibly continue on to vocational studies of art. "Developing the overall personality" refers to an thought that engaging in fine art has an touch on on the person as a whole – it is not a question of practicing only a narrow ability or skill, but, among others, thinking, emotional life and observation will develop with the assist of fine art.

In the definition, support is given to art pedagogy in plant nursery schools and comprehensive schools. This was an of import education-political definition of policy. It sent a bulletin that fine art schools exercise not replace fine art education in nursery schools and comprehensive schools, because the instruction in art schools does non concern the unabridged generation. Art schools have frequently given voice to their view on the organisation of art education in comprehensive schools: more of it is needed and all children have the right to receive it. All these years there has been a fear  – justified or non – that some quarter volition recollect of abolishing art subjects from the comprehensive school entirely, and justify information technology on the grounds that there are agile fine art schools and music institutes.

"Art schools provide target-oriented basic pedagogy of fine art that progresses in accordance with the curriculum taking the level of evolution of the pupil into consideration too as offer advanced special studies."

An occasionally operating club does not fulfill the weather condition of the definition. Target-oriented operation that progresses annually and forms an entity is proper education, and likewise could expect to receive public funding.

Art schools received public funding for the beginning fourth dimension in 1982 past a separate decision of government parties. The next yr art schools received their own upkeep inside the land Budget, from which the government started to classify discretionary state subsidy to the schools. Throughout the 1980s the Finnish Clan of Fine art Schools for Children and Immature People made proposals to the Ministry building of Teaching to create an education organisation for art and to assert the status of art schools with the help of legislation. A memorandum (1991:22) of the fine art instruction work grouping of the Ministry of Educational activity did, indeed, contain a government bill on basic education of fine art. The need for art education for children and young people also in other fields of art than fine art and music was anticipated in legislation and, thus, a concept 'basic education of art' was created, which refers to all type of education in different fields of art outside the comprehensive school in accordance with the Deed and legislation. The first Human activity on Basic Education of Fine art came into force on i June 1992.  It was revised in 1998  (Act number 633/1998).

The Act of 1988 defines basic education of art as follows:

"Basic education of art is target-oriented education in different fields of art progressing in levels organised primarily for children and young people, which at the same time gives a educatee readiness to express him/herself and to seek his/her style into vocational and higher education in the relevant field of fine art."

The Act has been drawn upward in the spirit of the first definition of the fine art school. The Human activity also requires that basic education of fine art be organised in accord with the bases of the curriculum drawn up past the Finnish National Board of Pedagogy. In 1992 when the commencement Deed on Basic Instruction of Art came into force, consulting official of the Ministry of Pedagogy, Paula Tuomikoski, characterised basic educational activity of art every bit an example of modern administration. "The most essential guidance tool in the basic education system is quality objective: education planned and given by a competent art teacher in accordance with the bases of the curriculum." (A Guide to Bones Education of Art 1993, 13)

Spirit of the art school and development of the curriculum

Several art schools started their performance equally a trial under embrace of small grants. In the beginning there were simply a few students and teachers often worked part-time. This open state of affairs allowed a free ideation as well at a pedagogic level. As the school leaders had imitated music institutes in administrative organisations, they wanted to plan the school contents entirely complimentary of role models.

The development work group for art schools noted that "music institutes are more than performance-oriented, while art schools for children and young people are pedagogy-oriented." (Work group Airasmaa et al 1985, 8). The evolution work group drew up a curriculum, which acted equally a trend setting model for the curriculums of art schools until 1992.  The work grouping stated cautiously:

" Although a coherent curriculum was drawn up for fine art schools for children and young people the work group emphasises that the success of the performance of art schools depends substantially on the education being renewing, experimental and enthusiastic. A possibility must exist given for trial performance of art schools for children and young people. Co-performance amid art didactics, specialists in pedagogics besides as creatively working artists will get more central in future." (Work group Airasmaa et al 1985, 9).

The spirit of the art schoolhouse can be described as a creative and experimental atmosphere that has inspired schools throughout the years. When enthusiastic teachers fervently defended to their cause started modest-scale education in small-scale conditions 25 years ago they were, according to some standards, megalomaniacs with incommunicable dreams. When resource of art instruction were continuously reduced in comprehensive schools art schools wanted to create ideal conditions to teach art instruction. Enough time was required for teaching (at least ii×45 min./week/group), the size of the pedagogy groups needed to be minor (10-12 pupils/group), professional working tools and materials, appropriate teaching bounds, proper pedagogy tools as well as competent teachers were required. Within the limits of these boundary conditions it was possible to organise experimental education, in which a educatee's own thoughts and ideas could exist taken into consideration.

Assertion of the status of art schools with the help of legislation required creation of collective bases of curriculum for all schools. A new teacher training as well required a collective curriculum for art schools. The Educational activity Middle of the University of Art and Design Helsinki had started a pedagogic further education for artists in 1987 ordered by the Finnish Association of Art Schools for Children and Young People, and since 1990 creative person'south pedagogic studies were added to the programme of the art education department ordered by the Visio commission. This instruction program was directed primarily at creative person teachers working in art schools.

In 1991 the Finnish Association of Fine art Schools for Children and Immature People appointed a curriculum work group that drew up The Curriculum for Art Schools (1992) and proposed to the Finnish National Board of Education that it be the premise for the bases of curriculum for basic educational activity of fine art. The Finnish National Board of Instruction, indeed, used the art schools' ain curriculum every bit a ground for its work. The Finnish National Board of Education published the first Bases of the Curriculum for Bones Instruction of Art in 1993.

In the curriculum of the work group of the Finnish Association of Art Schools for Children and Young People art education is defined equally follows: "- – – Inquiring attitude towards learning, education and expression is characteristic to teaching in fine art schools. The chore of the educational activity is to actuate and guide students' active, mental working. The process of instruction and learning is considered to be every bit important every bit the physical end results that sally during working. Teaching of art is creation of new, just as is making of art. In the teaching procedure the instructor and pupils interact together: they are, equally it were, a piece of work grouping on a joint journey, the knowledge and skills of its members influencing the success of the journeying." (Fredriksson, Hahtonen, Heinimaa 1992, 6).

The work groups appointed past the Finnish National Lath of Education have twice (in 1993 and 2002) drawn up bases of the curriculum for basic education of fine art, which have since acted every bit bases of municipal and school-specific curricula. The bases of the curriculum for the broad syllabus of basic education of art of visual arts were completed in 2002, and the equivalent bases were completed for general syllabus in 2005.

In the bases of the curriculum for broad syllabus basic education of visual arts is characterised in a form true to the original spirit of the art school.

"- – – The demand for artistic learning must derive from a student's own motivation, and a pupil must have an agile role in studying and learning".  "- – – In the didactics, inquiring and functional learning should exist exploited lonely and in interaction with others. The objective is that a educatee him/herself sets problems, processes information and discusses and forms assumptions." (The bases of the curriculum for broad syllabus of visual arts 2002, nine)

"- – – Learning of visual skills and knowledge besides as an inquiring, problem-centered mental attitude toward learning and expression require continuous interaction between the pupil, the teacher and the group. Ascertainment, working and play must be the key work forms. A pupil's own experiences, skills, knowledge as well equally interest are the bases of didactics. The joy of working and learning should be strived to maintain with choices of subjects and themes."  (The bases of the curriculum for wide syllabus of visual arts 2002, 10)

The affiliate of introduction to fine art stresses that "didactics must exist creative" as well as "inquiring and trouble-centered". (2002,xvi)

Along with the new curriculum fine art schools started pupil assessment and the possibility to have a concluding assessment. Experiences on the influences of the reforms are non however bachelor.

Indeed, information technology would exist interesting to examine how the pedagogic thinking in fine art schools has changed and adult over the years. In what ways the education is renewing, experimental and enthusiastic today? And does the original spirit of the art school still stay alive in the 2000s?

Elisse Heinimaa

Art instructor

elisse.heinimaa@deoxyribonucleic acid.fi

Sources:

Lasten ja nuorten kuvataidekoulut – taustaa, kehittämistavoitteet

Valtion taidehallinnon julkaisuja No26,  Helsinki1985, Valtion painatuskeskus

Fredriksson, Hahtonen, Heinimaa, Lasten ja nuorten kuvataidekoulun opetussuunnitelma, Helsinki1992, The Finnish Clan of Fine art Schools for Children and Young People

A Guide to Basic Education of Art, editor Ismo Porna and Pirjo Väyrynen, Helsinki 1993, The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities

Act on the Basic Education of Art (424/1992)

Act on the Basic Education of Art (633/1998)

The bases of the curriculum for broad syllabus of basic education of visual arts 2002, Helsinki 2002, the Finnish National Board of Education

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