Arts and crafts education
On 21 September 2019, a symposium was held in Mumbai on the importance of arts and crafts in schools. Aban Bana was also invited.
From ancient times, India has had a vibrant culture of arts and crafts. However, the teaching of arts and crafts in conventional Indian schools today is at its minimum, considering the school syllabus, which focuses on subjects like science, technology and economics in order to prepare the young people for the regular job market. Arts and crafts are seen as extracurricular activities, to be relegated to after school hours and to be indulged in by those who are not capable of passing in so-called academic subjects.
Therefore, a symposium was addressed to the given situation of teaching art in conventional schools. The symposium was co-organised by prestigious organisations like avid Learning, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Art1st (Art First) and the Mumbai chapter of Art Education Roundtables (AER).
Since I am the Country Representative of the Anthroposophical Society in India, and an active member of the Rudolf Steiner/Waldorf Education Movement in India, I was invited to take part as one of the nine speakers.
My subject was the importance of Art in Waldorf Education. Art, which strengthens the heart forces, ennobles the human being to become a caring and responsible world citizen. I gave examples of how art is embedded in the very core of all subjects taught and is fully integrated into the curriculum. Importance is given to the threefold human being, represented by the head, heart and limbs.
I ended my talk and panel discussion with the poem The Waldorf Impulse, which I wrote for the 100 years of Waldorf Education.