Last week the Government quietly removed art history from the school curriculum. It’s a move that’s left many baffled – including international experts – who worry what the implications will be from this decision, particularly as we move into a world where critical thinking and empathy are more important than ever…
Apparently, art history is, well, history, to the National Government.
Last week the Government released the new curriculum subjects for students in Years 11-13 and while a few new ones like politics and music technology were introduced, art history was quietly removed.
It’s a move that has left the NZ Art History Teachers Association – and many experts – baffled.
As we move into an increasingly visual world (with AI continuing to play a larger role in our day to day lives), the role of the subject, which encourages its pupils to think critically – surely is more important than ever.
Art History teacher Andrea Dawber, says the subject is far-reaching, but essentially is the “study of art as evidence of social, political, economic, religious, philosophical and environmental events across history.” She has seen firsthand what a transformative effect studying the subject can have.
“Art history by its very nature creates a safe space for all students,” she says. “There is an ‘in’ for every student because at its most basic level you are looking at and talking about art. Then art history actively scaffolds students as their curiosity implores them to understand the social, political, economic, religious, philosophical, and environmental events that produced the art. Students can access it through both visual literacy and the written word. For students with barriers to their learning, such as dyslexia this provides them with opportunities to achieve success.”
Last year, 763 students took art history at year 12, with just over 1,000 taking it in year 13. The Government believes parts of art history can be taught within other visual arts subjects, like painting or photography (to which Andrea says, “it is NOT the solution. It is an academically rigorous subject that requires specialist teachers”). The Government says its focus is on a ‘knowledge rich’ curriculum which focuses on the ‘science of learning’ with a ‘desire to improve literacy skills’.
It’s that part that’s truly baffling those who teach the subject. “Since art history’s inception it has been a knowledge-rich curriculum,” says Andrea Dawber. “Art history actively teaches literacy skills whereby students learn how to analyse, interpret and evaluate both the images they see and the supporting text that they read. It asks students to contextual the images produced – nothing happens in a vacuum. It is crucial in the curriculum as it teaches and develops critical thinking. It teaches students HOW to see, not just what to look at.”
Waldemar Januszczak – a famed British art critic and television producer – agrees, wholeheartedly, and describes Art History as being a “terribly important” subject, and when he caught wind of the move, he filmed a message for the National government saying, “for heaven’s sake, reverse your decision”.
“All I can say is, what a stupid, stupid decision that is,” he says. “There is no more important subject to be had anywhere – at school, university, anywhere – than art history, because it’s the subject that teaches us about humanity from its very beginnings. What do we know about the cave art that was made right at the start of human civilization? What we know is what was left behind by the artists and Art history shows us what it was. What do we know about the Greeks? We know about the art they left behind. What do we know about the Romans? We know about the art they left behind. What do we know about Maori culture? We know the art that we found, and the treasure left behind, because art history is a study of nothing less than humanity.”
The Big Picture
I was particularly keen on writing this piece, because I’m one of the many people out there who has really benefitted from taking art history at high school.
I was never a particularly arty person, but I needed to pick up a new subject in sixth form (now year 12) and was told it was too late to pick up history. That’s when both my English and geography teachers suggested art history.
I didn’t love the idea at first, but it soon became my favourite subject.
Because much like how you don’t spend your classes in geography looking at maps and memorising where the countries are – art history isn’t at all about memorising a bunch of art works.
It’s so much broader than that. And the skills it teaches young people are the ones that are becoming most crucial.
One of the parts I loved most about taking it, was learning to look more closely and critically at images, to understand what the subject or artist was trying to tell you. I still remember some of those classes on Renaissance art, studying portraits where we looked deeper into all the symbols and clues that had been included to understand who this person was, how they lived, the heartbreaks they’d been through – a life story, told in one picture. It was like decoding a little puzzle.
Yes, I’ve been able to impress a few people in pub quizzes over the years since by knowing niche information about Wassily Kandinsky and Der Blaue Reiter, and, yes, learning art history set me up to have a few jaw-dropping experiences visiting the likes of the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, having a greater understanding and appreciation of what I was looking at. But, how it really impacted my life was making me a better journalist. It taught me to think critically, to look for clues that aren’t immediately obvious and to have empathy. I believe empathy is one of, if not the most important skill for any journalist – you have to be able to understand another person and be able to put yourself in their shoes in order to write their story. And that’s exactly what art history teaches.
“As one current student of mine has said,” says Andrea. “‘Art History is NOT about memorising dates or paintings, it is about learning to think critically, to interpret, to question, and to communicate’: transferable skills that universities and employer’s alike demand.”
Andrea, who took art history as a student and completely fell in love with it too, says she loved that feeling of being transported back in time, learning about history through art.
“It is because of art history that I am a teacher and am lucky enough to share my passion and knowledge with my students every day,” she says. “I love the challenge of transporting my students from our device burdened world to a world where artists were the celebrities, showing their virtuoso with paint, brush, and chisel.”
She says she was devastated when she heard the news that the subject is being scrapped.
“It is an odd feeling when the government tells you that your passion, Bachelors and Masters degree is not valued,” she says. “However, the outpouring of support that I have received from friends, family, students and school community has been so encouraging! It is for them that I am so determined to pursue change.”
Andrea and the NZ Art History Teachers Association is urging Kiwis to help save art history.
“I urge you to write directly to the Minister of Education, Erica Stanford. Share with her the importance of Art History both in the New Zealand Curriculum and in New Zealand society. You can also follow nz_ahta on Instagram for more ways to help our cause. Choose your legacy and save Art History!”