IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMING ARTS
The performing arts in education (CBSE Schools in Noida) play a hugely significant role in helping children develop their creative skills and overall personality, but are often overshadowed by academic subjects leaving a little time for children to pursue what they love.
Educationists have realized its direst need and hence, are emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence, developing creative minds, fostering personalities and imagination as children mark their journey through school, to become happy and well- rounded individuals.
Performing arts being an integral part of education provide students with the opportunity to engage the mind, the body, and emotions. Students can explore and express great themes and ideas through their performance. This allows children to develop their self- confidence and self- belief. With improved self – confidence and self- belief children go on mastering many more skills that will equip them for life.
Children discover their voices, become confident and develop empathy and ethical insight into the contradictions and paradoxes of the human condition. They grow in understanding of not being only human but to be good, dignified, kind and compassionate.
Some studies have also indicated that children who participate in performing arts enjoy the improved performance in their academic subjects and because of the confidence and communication skills they become empowered in whatever career path they decide to take up as adults.
Several stakeholders working closely with NCERT have realized the emerging need for the integration of art with education. All disciplines being pursued by students at all levels require creative thinking and problem-solving abilities. Hence, when Art is integrated with education, it helps the child with a deeper understanding of the concepts. Art integrated learning strongly advocates experiential learning as it helps the students to derive understanding from their learning experience.
Another advantage of Art integration with the mainstream subjects is, that it not only makes the teaching and learning process joyful, it also has a positive effect on the development of communication skills, reflection and inquiry skills, unconditioning of the mind which leads to higher confidence level and appreciation for aesthetics and creativity.
This kind of Art integration introduced and followed by most of the Top Schools of CBSE, broadens the mind of the students and enables them to see the multidisciplinary links between subjects, topics, and real-life situations.
The potential for cross-curricular links are many and progressive schools such as ASPAM Scottish School, Noida, and many other international schools are beginning to encourage projects that integrate art, music, dance, and drama. For instance, a study of the Indus Valley Civilization offers children the possibility of designing seals and pottery, studying hieroglyphics and planning townships. Unfortunately, limited time and the pressure of exam driven syllabus discourage students’ exploration of cross-disciplinary linkages through co-curricular activities.
So what can teachers do to arouse and develop the latent intelligence of children?
- We can offer a parallel curriculum and hope students will find the energy and time to follow it. As regrettably, the academic system forces children to choose between learning through co-curricular education and cramming for formal exams in the pursuit of excellent grades in board exams. However, students seeking admission into universities abroad know the value of engagement with areas of student life other than academics, which often determines admissions.
- Another option is to lobby for an arts curriculum policy which mandates that every child compulsorily signs up for at least one performing arts which most of the reputed Schools of Noida and NCR are emphasizing upon.
We, at ASPAM, have mandated it for our students, to opt for at least one performing art activity of their choice, be it drama, dance, music, visual arts or emerging technologies.
In an ideal world, this is also important for every student to participate in at least one sport activity as well.
The students can explore to better understand ideas and concepts, and try out different points of view. It provides them an opportunity to recreate and reenact situations using different perspectives to reach conclusions. Most importantly, Performing Arts allow children to be playful and creative. It enables them to explore their curiosity and try out new things, and new ways of thinking or behaving.
If this could happen through the reduced syllabus, by eliminating irrelevant and meaningless portions, we could, as happens in fairy tales, wake up one morning and find our students wanting, willing happy to learn…