How art and design education can encourage the emotional development of a child

Art has been taught for numerous years. Yet in India, the subject has been sidelined for long and reduced to merely the basics of drawing or observational drawing, reappropriated by poorly trained educators into copying images or copying what the teacher him/herself does. The lack of an effective arts curriculum led to initiatives outside of school taken by private and public institutions, some to great benefit, but a majority yet failing to realise the full potential of arts for students. This article will not heed to the why of the situation, instead explore what arts are capable of doing for a child’s development. For arts are now making their way into Indian school curriculums much more effectively.

Indian boards such as the CBSE and State Boards have struggled to maintain an effective arts curriculum for school students. But the influx of international boards such as the IGCSE or the IB have given more opportunities to the ones who can afford. However, if you are a parent whose child goes to a CBSE or even State Board school, you may – or not yet – have started to hear about integrating arts into the curriculum. If yes, then that is because of the new National Education Policy that encourages the use of Arts to teach various concepts across subjects in a manner that is more experiential and perhaps, joyful. The policy also states that doing so will allow a greater connection between Indian culture and education. But why the arts? Dr. Elliot Eisner, a famous professor of art and education, stated numerous times in his speeches and conversations that the arts are capable of much more than merely assisting the learning of other subjects.

And he made a solid case for how the study of arts were capable of developing cognitive abilities that are crucial for any adult living in a civic society. Similarly, Sir Ken Robinson, yet another leader in the field of education and creativity, stressed the importance of creativity as a necessity as opposed to a luxury for children in schools. Engaging a child in learning of art and design exposes them to creative environments that encourage freedom, expression, risk-taking, experimentation, collaboration and more. All of which are capable of coming together to build skills that are now considered as 21st century skills by the World Economic Forum – Creativity, Communication, Collaboration and Critical Thinking. 

This honest expression, when nurtured and guided by art and design educators, is also capable of boosting self-esteem in children. Children, more often than not, take pride in their creations and in the development of their skills which equips them with confidence to face challenges in their subjects, which eventually also reflects on their confidence in life. Art and Design education are also catalysts to building empathy and encouraging collaboration for students. Art as a field allows one to perceive another’s expression and design works towards solving problems for people.

Both enable a child to understand different perspectives and experience or understand other people’s views. This aids in the development of empathy within children. Additionally, both are capable of improving collaborative skills amongst students. Based on the nature or scale of the project, art may require a child to work with colleagues and design as a subject perhaps cannot function without the involvement of various stakeholders required to work together. Art and Design also nurture critical thinking and develop problem solving skills. If you have ever visited a museum and picked up an exhibition brochure or read any supporting descriptions on artworks, you would have noticed the many symbols, metaphors or meanings that can be embedded within an artwork.

Similarly, in design, the outcome always has a function that improves utility like the aerodynamics of a car for better fuel efficiency or the use of stretch fabric for more comfort in garments. While these examples may be far-fetched projects for young children, exposure to such projects and an awareness of the same nurtures critical thinking and develops problem solving skills. There are numerous educators, leaders and professors who have reiterated these points on several occasions. But the lack of awareness and the lack of available services often causes parents to misunderstand the importance of the arts in a child’s learning journey.

India’s education landscape has for long focussed on Science and Commerce for that was the need of the industry when we gained independence and when we became a liberated economy. Today’s industrial landscape demands for more creativity for the world is becoming increasingly volatile, uncertain, chaotic and ambiguous (VUCA). Some have also started to address the world as brittle, anxious, non-linear and incomprehensible (BANI). What kind of education then do you reckon will aid the future generation be better prepared? What kind of skills do you imagine the future generation will need to develop solutions to increasing global challenges?