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Topic: The problem of art appreciation in Hong Kong by Au Cheong Chuen, March 2001
Sub-topic: Why do we need aesthetic education in Hong Kong? (Paper Presentation at The Asia-Pacific Art Education Conference in Hong Kong on 28th Dec., 2000)
Definition of “aesthetic”
Aesthetic includes different kinds of activities, which can arouse feeling of happiness, comfort and release. Most probably, aesthetics can be derived directly from artistic learning and activities. In order to develop clean concept, the meaning of aesthetic education in this research will focus on “arts and visual art”.
Research background
Hong Kong has been regarded as a “cultural desert” for a long time. Artistic activities were rare since 1960 because of the economic slump. With the establishment of the Council for the Performing Arts in 1982, Hong Kong has now been one of the most dynamic and flourishing cultural scenes in Asia (Recreation & Cultural Branch Government Secretariat, 1993, p.1) “Cultural desert” is gradually converted into an oasis.
People in Hong Kong are inadequate in aesthetic education, especially in art appreciation. Art appreciation, which can lead to the development of aesthetic experience, is one of major themes in Discipline-based Art Education. (Eisner, 1972) Through art appreciation, the development of knowledge and experience in aesthetics is widened and the aim of fulfilling spiritual need is achieved. Such experiences can lead to greater awareness and satisfaction through appreciating different forms of objects and artwork. Appreciative ability is very crucial because it helps develop intelligence.
As a voluntary museum docent at the Hong Kong Museum of Art for a couple of years, I find that people in Hong Kong show no interest in art appreciation and lack initiative to visit such places as the Hong Kong Museum of Art (henceforth, the Museum) during my guided tour. Public visits to the Museum occur mainly once every year and it is reported that the Museum attracts more professionals or semi-professionals. (“Report on an opinion survey on the Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1997) This clearly shows that the life pattern in artistic learning is unsatisfactory.
According to my observation from 10th to 15th April, 2000, there were about 200 to 300 visitors at the Museum per day. Frequent visits occurred during the Easter holidays but unexpectedly the Museum attracted fewer visitors during the holiday season. This behaviour is reflected that people in Hong Kong have no interest to visit the Museum. Such lack of interest stems from poor education in artistic learning. What are the reasons for this? Owing to this, I would like to investigate reasons for this phenomenon which has remained unchanged for sometime.
Problems of aesthetic education in Hong Kong
Art education started its function in the late 1960 in Hong Kong. This was regarded as a subject that formed a part of balanced curriculum. During a 30-year period, art was not taken seriously and has been neglected and ignored for a long time. This has contributed the following problems of aesthetic education in Hong Kong:-
1. People have no concept and sensitivity on aesthetics.
2. People have passive attitude towards art.
3. People are not creative and imaginative enough because of the limited aesthetic education.
4. People lack self-initiative to conduct art appreciation at the Museum.
5. People are low in appreciative ability.
Such problems are still prevalent now in Hong Kong. However, people in Hong Kong neglect the importance of aesthetic education.
The importance of aesthetic education
All countries insist on the development of academic education, which plays a major part in the development of all children. However, the academic study addresses only part of each child’s intellectual potential. Their other potentials are neglected and ignored if the education insists on the training of cognition.
A balanced and full education in the arts, which foster aesthetics, will help:-
Personal aspect
- develop children’s multiple intelligence,
- promote creativity,
- develop an attitude of cooperation and interpersonal relationship,
- have a powerful way in which communities express their characteristic values, feelings and beliefs,
- encourages students to strive to make their next work better than the last, especially in the improvement of technique,
Social aspect
- meet the new needs of business and promote cultural understanding and identity,
- the best route to understand the character of society through artistic practices and traditions.
Howard Gardner has come to admission that an individual has an inborn multiple intelligence. (Howard Gardner, 1991) If a person only develops his academic potentials, then his intelligence in arts and personal life skill will then be hampered to develop. They cannot meet the needs and requirements of society when they go out to work. In fact, arts education helps children express their deepest thoughts, feelings, emotions and dreams that are concealed in their heart through different media.
The strong reason for aesthetic education is that the present complex society requires people with different skills, which can meet the divergent needs and tastes of society. So, to widen children’s horizon of intelligence actually helps increase the competition among themselves and sharpen their strength in future. Owing to the rapid and tremendous change of politics, society and economy, cultural diversity has been growing tenser than before. Through arts education, the tension of cultural diversity can then be diminished to a certain extent because young people have been instilled with positive concept to accept diversity, such as racism.
Knowing the importance of aesthetic education, but there are still problems in Hong Kong. What are the reasons for this? However, such reasons can be revealed through art appreciation at the Museum.
Possible reasons for the inadequate aesthetic education in Hong Kong
- the education system in Hong Kong focuses heavily on the cultivation of elite. Unfortunately, the Government neglects the importance of aesthetic education, especially visual art. The reason is that there is about 75% primary teachers untrained in art in primary schools. (Teacher Report, 1997) Such indication can show that the government has ignored the importance of art education.
- there is a lack of resources and funding to students to learn visual art in schools, including primary and secondary. For instance, in the academic year of 1999 – 2000, each student in secondary schools is entitled to get a subsidy of about HK$40 (approximately about 3.50 sterling pounds) from the government. Such funding includes everything relating to art activities. The current funding is so small that students cannot possibly develop a keen interest in artistic learning while the government promotes balanced education.. How can students develop aesthetic properly with so little financial incentive? The passiveness of the government affects the quality of aesthetic education in Hong Kong.
- there is a wrong concept on art among the people of Hong Kong. In the eyes of the general public in Hong Kong, profit-making and money-minded are the basic concept of their aims of life. They want to earn as much as they can in exchange for the luxuriant life. They are very practical. In fact, people never think about art because it is too far from their daily life. They believe that art is only for those who are interested and for those who are rich. Those who visit the Museum are educated and professional. Such misconception on art among the public has triggered the push factor affecting the problem of aesthetic education in Hong Kong.
- On the other hand, people in Hong Kong may feel unstimulated by the collection of works at the Museum. The level of incentive, especially the permanent collections, is not enough to attract people to visit.
- the implementation of new art syllabi in 1995 and 1997, basically derived from the Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE), Eillot Eisner 1980, cannot match the ability of an untrained art teacher in primary schools. School principals allow teachers teach topics that are not suggested in the syllabi guidelines. Those who are untrained will not teach art appreciation and this lowers the development of aesthetics among students. What is worse, the government adopts “laissez-faire” policy, which gives no interference but with complete autonomy, on the employment of untrained teacher in the teaching of art. This is also the factor leading to develop the problem of aesthetic education in Hong Kong
Conclusion
Possible ways to tackle the present problem of aesthetic education in Hong Kong
- the government should have a proper policy to develop art for the public. But it should start at education to change the attitude towards art. For example, in 1997, the Education Department established the Quality Education Fund for the authority concerned to apply for different activities, which can enhance the effectiveness and quality of education. The establishment of such fund can really help the development and improvement of present art education in Hong Kong.
- in addition, the government should set up a committee to evaluate the present curriculum implemented both in primary and secondary schools, especially the method and materials used for art appreciation. Through the process of evaluation, it is also necessary to compare the development and effectiveness of the global art education – curriculum and methodology.
- to make art TV programs can also help develop knowledge and rise up appreciative ability of the public. Then art can be linked up and integrated as a part of people’s life.
- the government should open up more art libraries that carry lots of art book collections to those who are interested in art.
- furthermore, in order to promote aesthetic among the public, the government should provide more or permanent places for artists to exhibit their works. On the one hand, artists can develop their own exhibitions and on the other hand, aesthetics through art appreciation can be promoted. If possible, there should have exhibited more artworks in the open place to let the public approach them directly. Then art appreciation, integrating into a part of life, will be conducted at any time.
- in addition, cultural exchange and seminar should be held periodically to discuss the present trend of art education and its situation in the globe.
- the present Institute of Education has played an important role for teacher training. The institute should strengthen and evaluate art teacher-training course at intervals to meet the needs of the real situation. There should have a well-developed and well-designed course for the in-service art teacher to refresh teaching philosophy and methodology.
- it is the fact that the present exhibitions in the Hong Kong Museum of Art are quite limited in the category. The Museum should enlarge educational service for the schools to meet the needs of the present art education in the area of art appreciation. The Museum should design more educational materials and packages for the schools to cope with the exhibitions of the permanent and special section. Then the aim of aesthetic education in the new curriculum will be achieved.
- the school principals both in primary and secondary should actively promote art education. There should have more seminars, talks and workshops for all teachers, students, and the parents to let them understand more about the importance and value of present art education in the development of a whole person. Their prejudice will be diminished and they can encourage students positively in conducting art creativity.
- both primary and secondary schools should take initiative to dismiss those who have disqualified experience in the teaching of art. The principals should support their teachers to take more refresh and supplementary courses for the teaching of art. School principals should promote the professionalism of teacher in art and they should only let the trained art teacher to teach art.
- besides, teachers are encouraged to conduct appraisal between themselves in order to enhance the quality of teaching and its effectiveness. A committee inside schools should be set up by a group of teachers to deal with teaching problems as well as provide support to teachers, like resources, teaching methodologies, teaching aids and so on. This will help improve the quality of teaching and rise the standard of art education.
- the scheme of “Artist-in-School” should be extended to different schools, including students with special needs. Its aim is to arouse and cultivate interest and motivation to learn art and hence, those with talents can then be fully explored.
- the parents should regulate their misconception and prejudice against art through seminars, talks and family activities. They should let their children to study art. Parents should participate more seminars and talks concerning about the functions and values of art education, especially art appreciation.
- the government should allocate different resources to cultivate interest in art among the public. Every district should avail of resources from the authority concerned, like art museum and other art organizations, to progress different kinds of activities to develop strong clans between art appreciation and daily life.
In a nutshell, there are problems in the present aesthetic education in Hong Kong. Possible ways has suggested to tackle such problems but we need cooperation from different aspects. However, only our endeavour can overcome all the problems we face during the process of education. Only we persevere our aims of art education and hence our children can be explored their intelligence, especially their ability to different aspects.
Bibliography:
Chiu Wei-ling (1995) Art Appreciation, Taipei
Chen Keng-fa (1997) Theory and Concept of Art, Taipei
Y.C. Cheng, K.W Chow and K. T. Tsui (eds.) (2000) School Curriculum Change and Development in Hong Kong – A Historical Review of the Aims of the Primary Art and Craft Curriculum (1950s-1990s) by Anastasia Kam Hing So (p.47-p.59), Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong
Y.C. Cheng, K.W Chow and K. T. Tsui (eds.) (2000) School Curriculum Change and Development in Hong Kong – The Philosophical Bases of the Aims of Primary Art Curriculum (1960s-1990s): Changes and Implications by Joanna Suk Lin So (p.61-p.79), Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong
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