Art in schools: The good and the bad

At the beginning of the year, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora was a man between a rock and a hard place for changing the school curriculum.

Complaints centred around the number of subjects and some schools could have resisted if they had their way.

But we in the arts industry rejoiced, because for once the road to making arts important was starting. We have only been considered entertainment, which many of us are self-taught. So here was Dokora and others making sure artistes are identified from a young age.

Some of us have been fortunate to be part of school programmes even before this bigger push on arts education. I have adjudicated Jikinya, Nash Drama competitions and Isiphiwo Sami. I remember one time during Jikinya I was judging with Nkululeko Dube of Iyasa, we were talking about how the DJ was playing South African Music and Winky D only. Why we spoke about it? The children sang along and danced to each and every one of those songs.

Hold that thought, I will be back.

So because of the introduction of arts in schools, something called Schools Annual Science Arts Festival (SASAF) has been birthed. Though it also features science exhibitions, sports and projects, my key interest in it is arts which come in the form of visual and performing arts. Children are playing dress up for their performances and to add icing to that already tasty cake, parents are invited to this noble idea by the ministry.

Growing up we had the problem of parents considering arts as a distraction to a�?reala�? school work. Now this will make a believer of many parents and will surely guarantee numbers in the actual arts industry in the years to come. Hopefully also increase the number of audiences, which we so desperately need.

Why am I on and on and round and round about this? I am circling around to lead you to what I see as the bad of this noble idea. Ita��s both the fault of the schools and the professional artistes. Though there are many others that could help the situation, it starts with these two.

A friend of mine Raisedon Baya attended SASAF this week and he posed a deep question in this grouping called Bulawayo Live Arts network (BLAN). His question derived from an observation that DJa��s at the school event were playing South African music and Jah PrayzahA� only and he wondered whose fault it was?

The BLAN group has some of the industry movers and shakers like Butholezwe Nyathi of Amagugu, Radio Personalities Zaza Ndlovu, Jomo Mhone, Owen Maseko and Mdue Mdlongwa of 3D to name a few. So you can imagine the responses and suggestions that came out of that conversation. Unfortunately I would need the whole newspaper not column to scratch the surface.

So who is to blame? Ita��s not like we do not have quality music locally. It also goes without saying that Jah Prayzah and many foreign acts are popular. But who will make local music popular?

Should the DJs not be deliberately pushing local? They should take a leaf from Harsh Touch. He plays his Bosso song every time he gets an opportunity at BF. People find themselves singing along to it. The only song that I have seen school children dancing and singing along to is Sjaiva Sibancane by Iyasa.

Are artistes making their music available to these DJs? Or better yet to the communities that consume the art. Are our communities giving local arts a chance? It should start at the schools. Leta��s build appreciation from there. Let the music played be part of the exercise. Local music to the schools. Until next week, be safe . . .

@nkuenkala