An Ode to Joy … or the Sounds of Silence? An Exploration of Arts Education Policy in Australian Primary Schools

Abstract

The arts are an integral and important component of our everyday lives. As such, they need to be a vital part of our children's education. However, this has rarely been the case in Australian state primary schools over the past two hundred years. This article explores the history of the arts in Australian state primary schools since the colonization of Australia to the present day. I examine how arts education has been subject to policy changes and inquiries that have not seemed to significantly benefit the arts in our schools and that have at times seemed to marginalize the arts in primary schools. The article concludes with a challenge to arts educators and other stakeholders to develop and implement a long-term approach to policy and practice to ensure that the arts serve as an “Ode to Joy” rather than dissolving into “Sounds of Silence.”

Keywords:

• arts education
• Australia
• policy
• practice
• state primary schools