08. European Commission

Arts and Cultural Education at School in Europe Austria 2007/08 European Commission Arts and Cultural Education at School in Europe Austria (Refer...
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Arts and Cultural Education at School in Europe Austria 2007/08

European Commission

Arts and Cultural Education at School in Europe

Austria (Reference year 2007/08)

1. Responsibility and purpose Formally, the Federal State (Ministry for Education, Culture and the Arts) has exclusive responsibility for the creation of the curriculum while the provinces ('Länder') are responsible for its implementation in compulsory education (ISCED 1 and ISCED 2). However, in reality, there is a sophisticated system of checks and balances that takes into account the interests of the Länder when it comes to the reformulation of the curriculum. Since the school year 1993/94 the 14th amendment to the School Organisation Act has empowered the respective school partnership body (consisting of teachers and parents at primary school level, teachers, parents and pupils at secondary school level) to issue its own curricular regulations autonomously. This means that main focal points may be chosen within a given framework and schools can develop their own profile. There is no separate procedure to create arts curricula. Its creation is part of the comprehensive curriculum development on central level but is carried out in cooperation with experts from all other levels. The aims of the whole curriculum are listed in the School Organisation Act 1962, part Tasks of the Austrian School. This act contains specific cultural aims that are defined as follows: 'The task of the Austrian school is to foster the development of the talents and potential abilities of young persons in accordance with ethical, religious and social values and the appreciation of that which is true, good and beautiful….Young people should become healthy, fit for work, dutiful and responsible members of society and by that citizens of the democratic and federal republic of Austria. They should be equipped with independent judgement and social comprehension, open minded about political and ideological thinking of others and competent to share the economic and cultural life in Austria, Europe and the world…' (1).

2. Organisation and aims of arts education 2.1 Organisation of arts curriculum The arts curriculum is organised as separate subjects. It includes music, visual arts and crafts (divided into two separate subjects: technical crafts and textile arts). These compulsory subjects appear in the curriculum as:

(1) Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und http://www.bmukk.gv.at/schulen/recht/gvo/schog.xml

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Kultur

(1962):

Schulorganisationsgesetz.

Arts and Cultural Education at School in Europe



'Bildnerische Erziehung' (BE) (for visual and sculptural education);



'Musikerziehung' (ME) (music education);



'Technisches Werken' (technical crafts) and 'Textiles Werken' (textile arts).

Music and visual arts education is compulsory for all ISCED 1 and 2 pupils (primary and lower secondary education). When entering lower secondary education (at the age of 10), pupils of all school forms are required to choose either textile arts or technical crafts as compulsory subject. Pupils follow one of the two courses throughout lower secondary school, with one exception: at secondary schools with a humanistic-academic orientation (also called Latin branch – 'Gymnasien'), from 3rd grade (age 13-14) onwards, the curriculum does provide neither textile arts nor technical crafts anymore. Furthermore, in lower secondary education pupils are free to select optional subjects (with assessment) and optional exercises 'Unverbindliche Übungen' (without assessment). The following optional subjects are related to arts education: choir, drama, instrumental music, technical work or textile work, media arts, ensemble, etc. Generally, there is no limit in creating optional subjects/exercises on individual school level as long as there are enough applications for participating in the subject. However, a reduction of time units to be used for optional subjects/exercises has resulted in a cut-back of these activities in recent years. Time devoted to arts education at the ISCED levels 1 and 2 can be summarised as follows: Volksschule (ISCED 1) year weekly lessons 1 2 3 4

weeks per year 38 38 38 38

1 lesson (in min) 50 50 50 50

lessons per year 114 114 152 152

in hours

3 3 4 4

Hauptschule (ISCED 2) year weekly lessons 5 6 7 8

6 5 5 4

weeks per year 38 38 38 38

1 lesson (in min) 50 50 50 50

lessons per year 228 190 190 152

in hours 190 158 158 127

Allgemeinbildende höhere Schule (ISCED2) year weekly lessons weeks per year 5 6 38 6 6 38 7 4 38 8 3 38

1 lesson (in min) 50 50 50 50

lessons per year 228 228 152 114

in hours 190 190 127 95

95 95 127 127

Please note: The numbers above refer to schools without autonomous changes of the subject table.

2.2 Aims of arts curriculum The Austrian curriculum refers to 'Bildungs- und Lehraufgaben', i.e. educational and teaching tasks. The texts below are excerpts; for full text (in German) please refer to original documents (see footnotes).

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Country description

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Visual Arts ISCED 1: Visual arts education



should give the pupils the opportunity to experience and become actively involved in graphics, painting, sculpture/object and space, photography and film/video, play and action;



should familiarise the pupils with tools, processes and ways of expression;



should strengthen perception/sensibility, imagination, the ability to combine and invent and should promote creative behaviour;



should enable pupils to visually or optically experience objects, phenomena and processes in an unprejudiced and critical way;



should let the pupil experience personal mutability and the transformation of the environment and open up options for democratic actions (especially in the fields of social behaviour, peace education, environment protection, media education and consumer behaviour) (2).

ISCED 2: The aim of visual arts education is to provide basic experience on visual communication and design and to provide access to visual arts, visual media, environment design and everyday aesthetics. The individual creative working-process should provide insights into the connection of product and process, transfer technical and manufacture basics and let pupils experience openness, enjoyment of experiments, flexibility and perseverance as prerequisites of creativity (3). Music ISCED 1: Taking under consideration the acoustic environment and the individual characteristics of the child, music education has the task to guide to singing, making music, conscious hearing, moving to music and creating music (4). ISCED 2: Music education should provide an independent, continuative exposure to music, taking under consideration age-specific prerequisites based on action-orientation, contemporariness and cultural tradition and in touch with reality. This is to result from an active examination of as many musical fields, epochs and styles as possible. Aesthetic perception, imagination, ways of expression and fantasy of the pupils should be enlarged and differentiated. Pupils’ prerequisites should be systematically and continuously advanced. In the course of the four school years, a repertoire of songs, dances and acoustic samples should be developed and defined. By dealing with music, the ability to concentrate, motivation, self-discipline, the ability to communicate and tolerance should be stimulated (5).

(2) Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (June 2003): Lehrplan der Volksschule, Siebenter Teil, Bildungs- und Lehraufgaben sowie Lehrstoff und didaktische Grundsätze der Pflichtgegenstände der Grundschule und der Volksschuloberstufe, Grundschule – Bildnerische Erziehung. (3) Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (no date): Lehrplan Bildnerische Erziehung AHSUnterstufe, http://www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/778/ahs4.pdf (4) Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (June 2003): Lehrplan der Volksschule, Siebenter Teil, Bildungs- und Lehraufgaben sowie Lehrstoff und didaktische Grundsätze der Pflichtgegenstände der Grundschule und der Volksschuloberstufe, Grundschule – Musikerziehung. 5 ( ) Bundsministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (no date): Lehrplan Musikerziehung, AHS-Unterstufe und HS http://www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/882/hs18.pdf

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Technical crafts ISCED 1: The pedagogical and educational aim of technical crafts is to impart basic knowledge on the technically designed and constructed environment and to contribute to orientation and an environmentally responsible conduct (6). ISCED 2: The examination of the themes 'constructed environment', 'engineering' and 'design' should render the pupils competent to deal with life in a high-tech world in ecological, economical and social respects:



to develop and practise strategies to identify and solve technical and creative problems;



to develop skills and techniques by transferring cognitive learning processes into products and outcomes;



to develop competences by gathering experiences from practical work;



to facilitate social experiences and to lead to responsible conduct for a human-oriented design of the environment (7).

Textile arts ISCED 1: textile arts should provide specific knowledge about materials, textile production and design processes that can be applied in producing and redesigning textile products. Creativity, enjoyment in experimenting, spontaneity and flexibility should be at the centre of textile arts. Social competences should be nurtured by working in team. In textile arts, the process is as important as the result (8). ISCED 2: Textile arts provide the following competences: The ability to gather information on the textile sector, identify personal needs to individually choose textiles, nonverbal communication and critical consumer behaviour. This can be achieved by:



developing emotional, imaginative and manual competences and skills;



developing a feeling for colour, pattern, contrast, material, form, proportion;



unfolding the individual cultural competence in the field of fashion/clothing and living/housing;



developing an awareness for societal and psychological constraints and for the complexity of technical-economical contexts;



experiencing personal values and decisions, justifying value judgements;



basic skills in textile techniques



basic knowledge in the characteristics, use and application and criteria for design of textile material;

(6) Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (May 2007/coming into force in September 2007): Lehrplan der Volksschule, Siebenter Teil, Bildungs- und Lehraufgaben sowie Lehrstoff und didaktische Grundsätze der Pflichtgegenstände der Grundschule und der Volksschuloberstufe, Grundschule – Technisches Werken, Stand: BGBl. II Nr. 107/2007. http://www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/4000/VS7T_Werken.pdf 7 ( ) Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (no date): Lehrplan Technisches Werken AHS-Unterstufe http://www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/792/ahs17.pdf 8 ( ) Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (May 2007/coming into force September 2007): Lehrplan der Volksschule, Siebenter Teil, Bildungs- und Lehraufgaben sowie Lehrstoff und didaktische Grundsätze der Pflichtgegenstände der Grundschule und der Volksschuloberstufe, Grundschule – Technisches Werken, Stand: BGBl. II Nr. 107/2007.http://www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/4000/VS7T_Werken.pdf

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Country description



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providing knowledge about textile cultural goods belonging to one’s own or other cultures (9).

2.3 Cross-curricular links between arts and other subjects At primary level, teachers usually teach their class in all subjects except religious education. Naturally, this leads to cross-curricular links depending on the priorities of the teacher. For lower secondary education (ISCED 2), the Austrian curriculum refers to five general education objectives as the basis for cross-curricular links: language and communication, people and society, nature and mechanics, creativity and design, and health and movement. Each subject makes a specific contribution to these areas. Austria does not have any systematically collected data providing information about how teachers deal with cross-curricular links. The subject technical crafts can be described as uniting culturally as well as science-based contents. Two administrative decrees are of special relevance to cross-curricular links between arts and other subjects: The administrative decree for holistic and creative education of 1987/1994 ('Grundsatzerlass zur ganzheitlich-kreativen Erziehung') (10) aims at the development of teaching methods cultivating the pupil’s personality, creativity, the ability to work in a team and to deal with criticism. The learning process should be based on a hands-on approach including social, sensuous and affective dimensions. The decree puts special emphasis on an open school climate fostering co-operation with other institutions as well as the public presentation of school activities. The second decree to be mentioned is the decree on project teaching ('Grundsatzerlass zum Projektunterricht') (11) of 19922001. This text lists didactic principles relevant for all subjects and argues for the development of conditions at schools providing the basis for a more interdisciplinary, project-based teaching.

2.4 ICT and art education Generally, it seems that most ICT-based arts and cultural projects are taking place in lower and upper secondary education, whilst there is a deficit to promote ICT also at primary level. The programme 'Museum Online' has now been running for eleven years. It is supported by the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture and operated by KulturKontakt Austria. The objective of 'Museum Online' is it to enable pupils and teachers to engage in intensive analysis of regional, national and international art and culture; participants are furthermore enabled to get involved in thorough investigations concerning world cultural heritage (UNESCO) as well as dealing with information and communication technologies. 'Museum online' therefore consciously pursues an interdisciplinary approach. Pupils and teachers in cooperation with qualified representatives of museums and arts, and cultural institutions gather and compile suitable contents which are then presented multilingually on the Internet. Dealing with questions of diverse aspects, such as technical innovation, art-history or museum-oriented matters is required. Until 2007, over 450 web-projects were carried out by children of all ages and more than 100 museums and galleries participated in the project (12). Besides, there are also some initiatives of the Länder. In this respect, the state of Upper Austria can be regarded as cutting-edge, developing and implementing initiatives such as the 'Experimentale' (13), an interactive project connecting arts and science for lower and upper secondary schools.

(9) Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (no date): Lehrplan Textiles Werken, AHS-Unterstufe und HS, http://www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/793/ahs18.pdf 10 ( ) Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (1994): Grundsatzerlass zur ganzheitlich-kreativen Erziehung, Wiederverlautbarung 1994. http://www.bmukk.gv.at/ministerium/rs/1994_103.xml 11 ( ) Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (2001): Grundsatzerlass zum Projektunterricht, Wiederverlautbarung der aktualisierten Fassung, http://www.bmukk.gv.at/ministerium/rs/2001_44.xml. 12 ( ) KulturKontakt Austria (no date): Museum Online, http://www.museumonline.at/international/en/ (13) Netzwerk NAWI OÖ (no date): Experimentale 09, http://www.nawi4you.at/index.php?hmen=2&men=3

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3. Special provision with a focus on art education At primary level, a number of schools specialise on creative learning methods and reform pedagogy (e.g. Montessori) and those schools usually provide a lot of artistic and cultural activities. From ISCED 2 level onwards Austrian schools are specialising and differentiating further and some publicly funded schools have a focus on arts education. 9 % of 'Hauptschulen' have a special focus on 'Fine Arts' (musisch-kreativer Schwerpunkt) (14 ). Austria also provides the so-called 'Musikhauptschulen': There is a total of 96 'Musikhauptschulen', most of them in the states of Upper and Lower Austria and Styria (15). The 'Musikhauptschulen' usually offer between 20-24 weekly music lessons over the four years, including one instrumental lesson and one lesson of instrumental or vocal ensemble music (16). We do not have sufficient data how many academic secondary schools ('Allgemeinbildende höhere Schulen') on ISCED 2 level have a focus on arts education. Schools might call themselves 'Musische Gymnasien' (e.g. in Salzburg) or 'Kulturgymnasien' (e.g. BG/BRG Khevenhüllerstraße in Linz). Some schools focus on one artistic genre, e.g. music (Musikgymnasium Neustiftgasse in Vienna) and are specifically designed for gifted and talented pupils; others combine arts, culture and creativity in different branches (e.g. the Gymnasium Boerhaavegasse in Vienna with a focus on fine arts, ballet and music). When entering these secondary schools at lower level, pupils usually choose one branch (the most common ones are music branch and fine arts branch) and follow it throughout academic secondary schooling. In the context of school autonomy, other schools have developed 'school profiles' also including creativity and culture. Yet most academic secondary schools start profiling only from upper secondary level onwards, requiring pupils to focus on certain subject areas. As there is usually a high demand among parents to send their children to schools with focus on arts and culture, some schools require a selection process in the form a qualifying test testing the creative and artistic dispositions of the applicants (e.g. a portfolio of artworks, a test of rhythm and pitch). Besides the regular school system, there are 1.426 public 'Musikschulen' (17). These Music schools are usually funded by municipalities and the Länder with a total of 173.500 pupils, the majority (104 900) female. Music schools are traditionally part of after-school activities. A trend towards cooperation between Music schools and regular schools is evolving as more and more schools adapt to an all-day school system (18). Though there is a strong focus on music education (in the sense of learning to play an instrument), some music schools open up to a more multi-aesthetic, interdisciplinary approach. Especially music schools in Lower and Upper Austria are active in offering courses also in drama education, ballet and dance (19).

(14) According to Eurydice/Eurybase (2006/07):, Organisation des Bildungssystems in Österreich 2006/07, http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/ressources/eurydice/eurybase/pdf/section/AT_DE_C5.pdf, p. 40. (15) Musikhauptschulen Datenbank (no date): Musikhauptschulen, http://www.musikhauptschulen.at/ 16 ( ) Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (no date): Lehrplan der Hauptschule unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der musischen Ausbildung (Musikhauptschulen) http://musik-hsgemeinsamlernen.bmukk.gv.at/unterricht/LehrplanMHS/Lehrplan%20-%20Musikhauptschule.pdf (17) Statistik Austria, (2004): Musikschulen in Österreich 2004, wichtige Kennzahlen, http://www.statistik.at/web_de/static/musikschulen_in_oesterreich_2004_wichtige_kennzahlen_nach_bundesl aendern_020648.pdf 18 Musikschulen und Ganztagsschulen/Steiermark (2006): Resümee 2006, ( ) Arbeitskreis http://www.bildung.steiermark.at/cms/dokumente/10703204_20419552/287abd8f/AK_Musikschule_und_Gan ztagsschule_Bericht_20061231.pdf (19) Statistik Austria (2004), Unterrichtete Hauptfächer an Musikschulen nach Bundesländern 2004, http://www.statistik.at/web_de/static/unterrichtete_hauptfaecher_an_musikschulen_2004_nach_bundeslaend ern_020650.pdf

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Country description

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4. Assessment of pupils’ progress and monitoring of standards in the arts 4.1 Pupils' assessment The following art subjects are assessed:



music ('Musikerziehung');



visual arts ('Bildnerische Erziehung');



technical crafts ('Technisches Werken');



textile arts ('Textiles Werken').

Apart from these subjects, pupils at ISCED level 1 are free to select optional exercises ('Unverbindliche Übungen') that are not assessed (e.g. choir, drama, instrumental music, promotion of individual talents, etc.). At ISCED level 2, pupils are free to select optional subjects ('Freifächer') with assessment, and optional exercises ('Unverbindliche Übungen') without assessment. The following ISCED 2 optional subjects and exercises are related to arts education: choir, drama, instrumental music, technical work or textile work, dance, media arts, ensemble, etc. Officially, the assessment in arts is similar to that used in other subjects but lack of physical abilities and dispositions ('mangelnde Anlagen und mangelnde körperliche Fähigkeiten') have to be considered if the school has no focus on arts education. Pupils are usually assessed twice a year. Most teachers assess individual progress within the curricular content. At ISCED level 1, the outcome of teacher assessment is recorded as a grade and/or comment in school reports. In the first and second grade of ISCED 1, the school- or class-assembly ('Schul- oder Klassenforum') can decide to complement marks with verbal assessments. Some schools replace a midterm-report with alternative forms of assessment (e.g. conversations with parents). A low grade in the arts is of no consequence for the promotion to the next grade. A high grade in the arts is of no consequence either. However, a high grade is of importance for the overall assessment of a pupil’s progress and it could be important for applying to schools focused on arts education (see section 3). At ISCED level 2, the outcome of teacher assessment is recorded as a grade in school reports. A low grade in the arts has the same consequences as low grades in other subjects. However, in practice pupils rarely fail an arts class. Similar to ISCED 1, a high grade in the arts is of no immediate consequence, apart from the overall assessment of a pupil’s progress. It is of a certain importance for applications to schools focused on arts education. Local or regional authorities do not receive any information about grades; progress reports are kept within the respective schools only.

4.2 Monitoring of standards Since 2000 no monitoring has been carried out particularly in art subjects.

5. Teacher education in the arts 5.1 Initial teacher education At primary level ('Volksschule'), it is usually a general teacher who teaches all arts subjects. General teachers receive specific education and training in visual arts, music and drama (however, drama is not taught in all teacher training colleges 'Pädagogische Hochschulen'). Alongside, their programme includes courses aimed at knowledge and skills related to child development in the arts,

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Arts and Cultural Education at School in Europe arts curriculum content, arts pedagogy, arts history, personal arts skill development of the prospective teacher. The so-called 'modularisation' has in the past few years led to an increasing focus on specific competences (like communication, experimenting, personal and creative development) and pedagogic skills in addition to specialised knowledge. At general secondary schools ('Hauptschulen'), it is in theory specialist teachers teaching the arts. However, in practice, because of a lack of specialist teachers for arts subjects at some schools, there are also teachers teaching the arts without having received specialist training in the arts subjects (socalled unexamined – 'ungeprüfte' teachers). A survey in Salzburg (province) conducted in 2002/03 shows a proportion of 75.2 % of music lessons held by specialist teachers and a proportion of only 61.8 % of visual arts lessons held by specialist teachers (20). Specialist teachers for the arts teaching in general secondary schools ('Hauptschulen') receive education at teacher colleges ('Pädagogische Hochschulen'). The programme they follow includes knowledge and skills related to child development in the arts, arts curriculum content, arts pedagogy, arts history, personal arts skill development of the prospective teacher. Compared with teacher training at university level (see below), the focus is more on pedagogy instead of high levels of skills in the particular art form. There is an entrance exam for music, but none for visual arts. At academic secondary schools, lower cycle ('Allgemeinbildende höhere Schulen'), arts subjects are taught by specialist teachers. To become a teacher for academic secondary schools, specialist teachers teaching the arts (music and visual arts) study their subject at university level. This includes also entrance exams and practical exams throughout the studies where certain levels of skills in the art form have to be demonstrated. Academic specialist teacher education takes longer (9 semesters instead of 6 semesters at teacher training colleges). The curriculum is more in-depth and specialised when it comes to personal art skills in the particular art form (e.g. through one-to-one lessons at music academies) and arts theory. Yet, there is also an increasing focus on pedagogic skills. Thus, all of the content areas listed above also apply to the training of specialist teachers for academic secondary schools. There are no specific programmes promoting the recruitment of artists as teachers. Artists interested in teaching need to successfully complete a degree in pedagogy. This creates problems for example for art forms like dance. Dance is up to now taught by sport teachers in sport lessons. Professional dancers who are willing to teach need to complete a degree in pedagogy. Otherwise they cannot be recruited by schools as regular teachers and their work is limited to projects. Artists are involved in the training of prospective arts teachers as university professors/lecturers or lecturers at teacher training colleges.

5.2 Continuing professional development In Austria, continuing professional development (CPD) depends largely on voluntary activities of individual teachers. Compulsory elements are either very general (for teachers employed by the Republic of Austria, 'Bundeslehrer', teaching at academic secondary schools) or in a comparably minor amount of 15 hours/year (for teachers employed by the provinces, 'Landeslehrer', teaching at primary schools or general secondary schools). There are practically no incentives (in terms of salary or career progress) and there is practically no evaluation. Schools do not have a CPD budget and headmasters only have a say when it comes to according CPD to teachers during school lessons21.

(20) Landesschulrat für Salzburg, Abteilung 1 Allgemein bildende Pflichtschulen (2002/2003): Fachgeprüfter Unterricht an Hauptschulen im Schuljahr 2002/2003. (21) Schmid, Kurt, Lehrerweiterbildung im internationalen Vergleich, ibw-Mitteilungen, 2. Quartal 2005.

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Country description

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Since 2007, the teacher training colleges ('Pädagogische Hochschulen') are both responsible for initial teacher education (primary and lower secondary general level) and for CPD (also for teachers at academic secondary level), thus for both general and specialist teachers. There are 8 public teacher training colleges (one in each province), plus 1 private college in Burgenland and 5 catholic ones. There is a huge variety of programmes that exceeds the art forms that are offered on a compulsory level at schools. CPD programmes range from arts practice (from graffiti to folk and dialect music etc.) to pedagogy (drama, museum etc.) and arts history/theory. The offer for teachers at general secondary schools and primary schools is larger compared to the one especially targeted on teachers in academic secondary schools. CPD programmes are either taught by pedagogues or by artists or arts educators. Sometimes also cultural institutions (e.g. museums) are offering CPD in cooperation with teacher training colleges.

6. Initiatives Generally speaking, partnerships or co-operation between schools and arts organisations are largely depending on initiatives of individual teachers and lack a structural basis (though theoretically stated in official documents (22)). Therefore, a new programme was initiated. Since March 2009 KulturKontakt Austria supports partnerships between schools and cultural institutions. In this programme called p[ART] each school works in cooperation with a cultural institution with the aim to initiate long lasting partnerships. The programme centres on the promotion of dialogue and communication. Students get insight into the work of cultural institutions. And cultural institutions get to know children and young people – one of their important audience groups – better. KulturKontakt Austria also supports dialogue events ('Dialogveranstaltungen'), involving artists in school projects for primary, lower and upper secondary schools. An evaluation of these events has been carried out in 2004/2005 (1.745 events in total) and 2005/06 (1 760 events in total) (23). Co-operation of secondary schools with higher arts education institutions (such as music universities and conservatoires to specifically promote artistically gifted and talented pupils) is an exception within the regular school system. These rare examples also include forms of co-operation or 'tutorship' with high-profile arts institutions (e.g. the Musikgymnasium Vienna and the Vienna Philharmonics). Most of the major arts organisations offer education programmes tailored to school classes that are usually popular, though some representatives of arts organisations EDUCULT, a Vienna-based research Institute, talked to in the course of the research for the report 'Diversity and co-operation' (24) (2007) stated that it would be 'always the same schools and teachers' taking part. Also, the status of arts and cultural educators/mediators working for institutions is often very fragile, largely depending on freelancers and in threat of cut-backs of resources. Up to now, extra-curricular activities (e.g. music schools) are largely depending on the social background of the pupils and if parents are able and willing to support these activities. In Vienna, in 2007/08, four 'Campus schools' at primary level were initiated. These schools offer all-day care for children in close co-operation with sports institutions, music schools and university institutions. For a monthly fee of 80 Euros, children can choose from various extra-curricular activities. A social differentiation of fees opens the schools for children of all backgrounds.

(22) See section 2.3 23 ( ) NPO Institut für interdisziplinäre Non Profit Forschung (January 2007): Evaluation über die Förderungstätigkeit von KulturKontakt Austria im Rahmen der „Dialogveranstaltungen', http://www.kulturkontakt.or.at/upload/medialibrary/Evaluation_Studie_2006.pdf (24) EDUCULT (2007): Vielfalt und Kooperation – Kulturelle Bildung in Österreich – Strategien für die Zukunft, Bericht im Auftrag des Bundesministeriums für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur,, http://www.educult.at/uploads/media/vielfalt_kooperation_klein.pdf

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7. Ongoing reforms and proposals There have not been any recent changes specifically for the arts curriculum but for the school system in general, which is likely to also have consequences for the role of culture and the arts at schools: After fierce ideologically driven discussions, the social-democratic Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture in 2007 introduced a reform of the school system by creating a 'New Middle School' ('Neue Mittelschule') in 9 model regions (within Carinthia, Styria, Vorarlberg, Burgenland and Upper Austria). From 2008/2009 onwards there will be 67 comprehensive lower secondary schools in the 9 model regions for the 10-14 year olds (ISCED 2), from 2009/10 onwards 177 more. Up to now the decision on the future careers of pupils is taken as early as the age of 10 by sending them either to academic (demanding high performance) or general secondary schools, depending on their grades at the end of primary schools. The Minister for Education, Arts and Culture is determined to make these 'New Middle Schools' spaces for a 'new learning and teaching culture' ('Neue Lehr und Lernkultur') where arts and cultural education will play a key role. In 2007/08, a committee of experts has developed concepts outlining this role (25) The new model 'New Middle Schools' will be evaluated and monitored by the Institute for Education Research (Institut für Bildungsforschung, Innovation und Entwicklung des österreichischen Schulwesens, bifie.) The Institute was created in 2008 by decree of the National Council ('Nationalrat'). The current discussion about quality assurance and assessment in Austria is focused on subjects like German, mathematics, science and languages as a consequence of the PISA results. However, discussions started at some arts universities and interest groups of teachers about developing standards also for visual arts and music.

8. Existing national surveys and reports on practices In 2007, EDUCULT Vienna, an expertise centre for arts & cultural education delivered a report 'Diversity and Co-operation' (26) commissioned by the Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture. This included also a number of recommendations based on a qualitative research involving the main actors in the field. Some general recommendations:



Evidence-based policy: providing a basis for evidence-based policy in arts and cultural education by systematically collecting empirical quantitative and qualitative data to enable transparent decision-making as well as effective implementation of measures.



Visibility: making the positive effects of arts and cultural education for the school community as well as for the individual visible, also by intensifying public discourse involving also new partners (e.g. representatives of the economy, science etc.).



Symbolic policy: publicly acknowledging the dedication of those active in the field of arts and cultural education, thus also encouraging quality upgrading.



Improving the service structure and co-ordinating individual activities: in recent years, a number of service agencies in the field have been established to support activities in arts & cultural education. Since 2004, some major activities of the former Austrian Culture Service

(25) Wimmer, Michael; Putz-Plecko, Barbara (2008): Die Schule als kulturelles Zentrum. In: ExpertInnenkommission Zukunft der Schule, Zweiter Zwischenbericht, 31.03.2008, p. 77-93. http://www.educult.at/fileadmin/files/Infoplattform_MW/ek_zwb_02.pdf (26) EDUCULT (2007): Vielfalt und Kooperation – Kulturelle Bildung in Österreich – Strategien für die Zukunft, Bericht im Auftrag des Bundesministeriums für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur,, http://www.educult.at/uploads/media/vielfalt_kooperation_klein.pdf

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Country description

Austria

('Österreichischer Kultur-Service ÖKS') are now carried out by the department for cultural mediation of KulturKontakt Austria. In most of the Länder there are also agencies dealing with the field e.g. supporting school visits to cultural institutions, cultural school projects, artist-in-school programmes etc. Up to now, there is no co-ordination of these activities on the central level. Some recommendations related to cultural education in school:



From time-schedule to project-teaching: arts and cultural education needs adequate time and space and can hardly be realised within a rigid time-schedule. The theoretical basis for 'time and space for the arts' has already been set years ago by the decree for project teaching of 1992/2001. Some schools are already realising project-based teaching, thus developing themes in a working process including different perspectives and methods. These examples of good practice are to be mainstreamed within the school system.



Cultural education and intercultural pedagogy: the recent discussion about the integration of children with a migration background in the school system is too often reduced to acquiring language competences. Yet forms of expression like singing, dancing, painting and filming can be a good basis for successful integration. In this context, the expertise of intercultural pedagogy and the options of arts and cultural education can complement each other. Again, the examples of good practice in Austria (see e.g. the database www.projekte-interkulturell.at) need to be systemised.



Drama, dance, design and architecture as the 'stepchildren': the existing curricula discriminates the performing arts – dance and theatre/drama education as these subjects are not part of compulsory education and are rarely realised at schools, also due to reduction of time units. There are no specifically qualified teachers, except those who completed further training on their own accord. The recent reform of the teacher training colleges has led to some initiatives supporting this sort of training (e.g. the course in 'Drama Methode' at the catholic teacher training college in Vienna). Also architecture, design and film – things we are surrounded by in daily life – are rarely dealt with at schools as they are not part of the regular curricula.



Strengthening the role of teachers: no doubt, teachers play a key role in conveying cultural education – yet the reduction of time and resources in recent years has led to many frustrations especially among those dedicating their energy to arts and cultural education. Teachers talk about an overflow of information while missing support within the school organisation. In this context, we argue for the establishment and qualification of 'cultural contact persons' at schools to administer information about cultural activities and to manage cultural projects at schools.



Providing teacher training: the already mentioned reform of teacher training college has also led to the establishment of a 'competence centre for artistic and cultural education' at the public teacher training college in Vienna. Similar activities are planned elsewhere. They need to be equipped with adequate financial and staff resources. The teacher training at universities (for academic secondary schools) has also to be taken into account. Examples of good practice, e.g. the University of Applied Arts that offers practical experiences in cultural school projects need to be systemised and supported.

Another project of EDUCULT called 'Arts Count – Kulturelle Bildung zählt!' started in summer 2008. With this project, EDUCULT is pioneering in the field of an empirical analysis of the status of arts and cultural education in Austrian schools, collecting both qualitative and – for the first time – quantitative data. In order to paint a comprehensive picture of the numerous and multifaceted cultural, artistic and creative activities and the related infrastructure at schools, EDUCULT developed a questionnaire that was sent out in November 2008 to heads of schools at ISCED level 2. Follow-up research is planned for 2009 and 2010. Regular updates on the project status can be found at www.educult.at.

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Arts and Cultural Education at School in Europe

Unrevised English. The content is under the responsibility of the Eurydice National Unit. Authors: Michael Wimmer, Anke Schad, Tanja Nagel For detailed information on the educational system and teacher education, please see Eurybase on www.eurydice.org

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