The Founder of Creative Minded Educators, (CME), Odetola Ebenezer has urged governments at all level to make Art a compulsory subject to be taught in all schools across the country.
Ebenezer said this at the Creative Mind CME 2nd Annual conference organized by CME recently at the Supreme Educational Foundation School, Magodo, Lagos.
The programme tagged: Teaching in the 21st Century: Creativity, Innovation and Leadership brought together hundreds of teachers from across the country which feature seminar, question and answer, and exhibition.
He said art is not all about creating artists but something broader.
Arts education can imbibe in young people a sense of satisfaction that comes from working to creating something, the ability to use and understand language effectively, and a profound sense of the values that permit civilised life to go on.
“Art seems to have lost its place in the curriculum.
And in some school environment, it is viewed as ‘’extras’’, there is a strange focus on core subjects like Reading, Writing, Math and Sciences”.
“when art is lost in the curriculum, it tends to disservice a child emotionally and cognitively.
Unfortunately, a typical classroom teaches primarily to visual and auditory learners while leaving others by the wayside”.
“Children who have an environment in which to express themselves through art and play will likely be happy in school and develop positive attitudes toward the subject matter”.
“children are typically more apt to enjoy drawing and coloring at early years (both the scribbling and named scribbling) and are usually not to being exposed to art when admitted to schools”.
“the use of art helps them to become more aware and comfortable with their surroundings, both physically and mentally.
I remember as a child nobody taught us how to make a boat and paper airplane.
We learn them at school from each other.
To convert paper into a recognizable shape is now a challenge to many 21st century Nigerian children.
