User:Saraheavenly/Australia Arts Education Policy

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Introduction
The arts enrich our everyday lives and the argument that the arts have an impact on our lives in complex. What is certain, however, is how the arts can enrich our lives socially, economically, and mentally. As such, the arts should be an integral component of our children's education. The case for the arts in education continues to be under much debate. In Australia, arts in education is finally making its mark in policies and schools after 200 years.

History
Education policies within Australia have been heavily influenced by other countries in the past and it is only in the past few years that Australia is beginning to develop its own Arts policy to embed its many cultures. Having been shaped by the colonization of Great Britain, the British education policies strongly influenced the Australian education system and as a result placed litte attention to Australia's rich cultural heritage. No specific policies devoted to dance and drama until 1985, with a greater focus on the core subjects.

Challenges within the art education
Slowly, national policy recommendations were made to develop the arts but unfortunately little or no funding was made available to make these changes sustainable, instead national educational decisions were placed within economic principles. The Australian National Curriculum, very much like the British, placed a heavy focus on literacy and numeracy development.

Questionning the future of the arts in education
Russel-Bowie asks if the arts education is now an 'ode to joy' magic that binds us together or whether the arts are disappearing into the 'sounds of silence' as they are being marginalized and disappearing from the core curriculum in Australia.