By: Kimberly Wilson
Thank you for the wonderful feedback. We love to hear people's thoughts on the articles and the topics. We encourage more people to participate in the discussion too. Keep the comments coming! By: D. Paul Schafer
I really enjoyed reading the valuable article on arts education by John Hobday. While there is much to regret concerning the state of arts education in Canada and other parts of the world, some very impressive gains have been recorded in this field in recent years, largely as a result of the work of UNESCO in this field and research into the value and importance of arts education in the development of people at all ages and in every sector of society.
I was one of the beneficiaries of an excellent education in the arts when I was young. This education was provided in part by the elementary and secondary schools I attended, but primarily by my parents. Although my parents did not have an education in the arts themselves, they saw to it that their children received such an education.
I have profitted from this all my life, so much so that I recently wrote a major article about this education called 'Foundations for Life: How an Education in the Arts Can Transform and Enrich Your Life.' This article has just been published in a collection of articles on arts education by the UNESCO Chair in the Ukraine. It is available for downloading on the Home Page of the World Culture Project website at www3.sympatico.ca/dpaulschafer.
I think John Hobday, Larry O'Farrell, Max Wyman, Walter Pitman, and others are to be congratulated for the valuable role they have played to promoting arts education in Canada and throughout the world. Thanks to their initiatives and hard work, Canada has a world-wide reputation for leadership in this area which will surely grow and develop in the months and years ahead. D. Paul Schafer