Art education development and curriculum planning for national development in Ghana

At this grade level, art education needs to provide an intellectual, intuitive and emotional understanding of the concepts, creative skills, commercial values as well as aesthetic values of traditional arts--handicrafts, art, music, dancing, drumming, home science and physical education which are charged with viable qualities for national development. In the first couple of years when students are supposed to adjust in the Secondaty School, it would be congenial to let themes 60 for art experiences stem from the students' interest in order to arrest their interest ior further study of art theories and prin­ ciples. Generally, the Secondary students need opportunity to explore a plurality of local art media and techniques in order to develop interest in design for improving traditional carving, weaving, pottery, crafts, architecturc as veil aa community planning. For complete national development the country needs scientists, engineers, techni­ cians os well as artists to develop the arts, music, drama, crafts, history and literature. It will he equitable to train students to become good connoisseurs who can malce reasoned judgments about aesthtic matters efficiently or appreciate African and Western arts or handi­ crafts critically. In view of this objective, it is necessary to introduce a comparative study.appreciation and criticism of African and foreign arts by the provision of textbooks, reproductions, original works, slides, radio, television and other audio-visual media depicting local and foreign art works. To attain the above objectives, the students need to be made aware of the fact that art education has the potential for improving the economy, the social life, personal fulfillment and transmission of Ghana's cultural her itagc. Teacher Training Col 1ege Prospective teachers in training need to be given opportunity and freedom for creative experimentation with a variety of local art materials so that they can make good visual aids for teaching purposes with confidence. In addition to Western art, the students need also to acquire technical skill in the making of local art and 81 handicrafts to become good teachers of these arts aiid crafts, Ex­ pressing his opinion on this Frederic Logan says, '’. art teachers should be essentially artists" (93). A major goal of art education proposed in this study is to achieve economic values through art education. In support of this view KnzamIas and lisssialas say, ". the curriculum of the school should become an important contributing factor to the social and economic development of the society or the school should relate the curriculum to the needs of ;. n expanding economy" (94). It is, therefore, congenial to stress the economic aspects of the local art and handicrafts--production and sale, in the teaching of art to excite new interests in art study and practice among students in Lite schools. Art should not be classified as a hobby much less as a subsidiary subject at this level but rather given equal attention as any major subject in the College. The intellectual analysis of traditional arid Western Art works under taken through the study of Art History, criticism and appreciation need to be introduced at college level to refine students' thinking or unking of value judgments in the arts. It will also help them to lie knowl edgable about the concepts or principles which deal with the visual qualities of art in terms of color, shape, form, line, texture, etc. Thi3 theory or intellectual analysis of art study can be effectively achieved through the use of slides, reproductions, art textbooks, radio, television, and other audio-visual media. Art education needs to be based to a large measure on the aspiration for national develop­ ment through college education. It is highly recommended that 82 t e a c h e r a s h o u l d a t t a i n p r a c t i c a l e x p e r i e n c e s t h r o u g h a r t w o r k s h o p s , a r t i n s t r u c t i o n a l c e n t e r s , o r i e n t a t i o n o r r e f r e s h e r c o u r s e s s p e c i a l l y o r g a n i z e d f o r t e a c h e r s d u r i n g v a c a t i o n s .