The Conservative Party: Maintaining the Status Quo
The Conservative Party’s 2024 election manifesto, titled “Clear Plan, Bold Action, Secure Future”, presents a mixed picture when it comes to arts education and skills. While the party has made some commitments to improve education and skills training more broadly, specific references to the arts are limited.
One positive note is the party’s pledge to “ensure children continue to receive a ‘broad and enriched’ education during and after school, including via the ‘multi-million-pound Music Hubs’.” However, this focus on music seems to overshadow the wider expressive arts subjects, such as drama, art, and dance, which have seen significant declines in recent years.
The manifesto also proposes introducing “tax-free bonuses of £30,000 for teachers in STEM and ‘technical’ subjects.” This appears to prioritize non-arts subjects and could further contribute to the “enrichment gap” in our education system, where arts and creative subjects are systematically devalued.
Worryingly, the party’s plans to “curb the number of poor-quality university degrees” could lead to an acceleration in the closure of arts courses and departments that we have already witnessed across the UK. This is particularly concerning at a time when the creative industries are a vital part of the British economy, contributing over £100 billion per year and employing 2 million people.
The manifesto also fails to mention the Cultural Education Plan, which was announced in 2022 but has still not been published. This plan had the potential to address the decline in arts education, but its absence from the Conservative’s policy agenda is disappointing.
Overall, the Conservative Party’s manifesto offers little in the way of new support or investment for arts education and skills. The strategic prioritization of non-arts subjects, coupled with the potential closure of arts-related university courses, paints a worrying picture for the future of creativity in our schools and beyond.
The Green Party: Modest Commitments to the Arts
In contrast, the Green Party’s 2024 manifesto, “Real Hope. Real Change,” contains some more promising pledges for the arts and creative education.
The manifesto includes a commitment to “review assessment targets in line with the need to develop creative, critical and communicative skills in young people.” This is a welcome acknowledgment of the importance of these skills, which are often sidelined in favor of more traditional academic subjects.
The Greens also propose to “support the arts and culture through local communities” by increasing funding for local councils by £1 billion per year. This could help to reverse the significant cuts to local authority arts and culture budgets that we have seen over the past decade.
Additionally, the party has pledged to re-establish the Education Maintenance Allowance for further education students in England, which was scrapped by the Coalition Government in 2010. This could provide valuable support for young people, including those pursuing arts and creative subjects.
However, the manifesto stops short of creating a specific entitlement for expressive arts education in schools. While the commitment to review assessment targets is a step in the right direction, more concrete policies to protect and promote arts subjects would be needed to truly address the decline in arts education.
The Labour Party: Promising a Curriculum Review and Broader Opportunities
The Labour Party’s 2024 manifesto, “Change,” contains several more detailed pledges related to arts education and creative skills.
One of the party’s key education commitments is to launch an “expert-led review of curriculum and assessment, working with school staff, parents and employers.” This review is set to consider “the right balance of assessment methods” and aims to deliver a curriculum that is “broad, inclusive and innovative.”
Notably, the manifesto states that “every child should have a broad curriculum with an excellent foundation in reading, writing and maths, and support to develop essential digital, speaking and creative skills.” This recognition of the importance of creative skills is a welcome departure from the Conservative Party’s focus on STEM and technical subjects.
Labour has also pledged to replace the single Ofsted headline grade with a new “report card system,” which could help to better capture the breadth of a school’s provision, including its arts and creative offerings.
Furthermore, the manifesto includes a commitment to develop a “creative industries sector action plan,” acknowledging the vital role that the creative economy plays in the UK.
While the manifesto does not provide specific details on increased funding for arts education, the party’s emphasis on a broad and inclusive curriculum, as well as its plans to review assessment methods, suggest a more balanced approach that values the arts alongside other subject areas.
The Liberal Democrats: Recognizing the Value of Expressive Arts
The Liberal Democrats’ 2024 manifesto, “For a Fair Deal,” also contains some promising commitments related to arts education and creative skills.
The party has pledged to “include arts subjects in the EBacc curriculum,” which is a positive step, although the Campaign for the Arts believes that the EBacc should be scrapped altogether to truly prioritize the arts.
The manifesto also states that the Liberal Democrats will “ensure children are taught by trained specialists in arts, music, drama and design subjects.” This recognition of the importance of subject-specialist teachers is crucial, as we have seen a decline in arts teachers in recent years.
Additionally, the party has committed to “expand the provision of extracurricular activities including music, drama and debating” and to “provide more support for disadvantaged children to access these activities.” This could help to address the unequal access to arts and creative opportunities that many young people face.
The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto also includes a focus on mental health, with pledges to “provide more support for children and young people’s mental health.” This could have positive implications for the role of arts and creativity in supporting wellbeing.
However, as with the other parties, the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto does not contain any specific commitments to increase funding for arts education or the wider cultural sector. While the recognition of the value of expressive arts subjects is welcome, more concrete policy proposals would be needed to truly address the challenges facing arts education in the UK.
Conclusion: A Mixed Picture with Room for Improvement
The coverage of arts education and skills in the party manifestos for the 2024 UK general election presents a mixed picture. While some parties, such as the Greens and the Liberal Democrats, have made modest commitments to protect and promote the arts, the Conservatives’ manifesto notably lacks significant new policies or investment in this area.
The Labour Party’s pledge to review the curriculum and assessment methods is a promising development, as is the party’s recognition of the importance of creative skills. However, the lack of specific funding commitments raises questions about how these ambitions will be realized.
Overall, the 2024 manifestos suggest that more needs to be done to ensure that every child has access to a rich and varied arts education, and that the creative industries are supported to thrive. The Campaign for the Arts will continue to advocate for these vital issues, and to hold all political parties accountable for their promises to the nation’s young people and creative workforce.
As the Stanley Park High School community considers their options at the ballot box, we encourage everyone to carefully examine each party’s stance on arts education and skills. The future of creativity and cultural enrichment in our schools and communities depends on the decisions made in this election.
