Curriculum for the Schools of Music and Performing Arts

Transcription

1 Curriculum for the Schools of Music and Performing Arts Live Lundh, gjøvik kunst- og kulturskole DIVERSITY AND DEEPER UNDERSTANDING THE NORWEGIAN COUNCIL FOR SCHOOLS OF MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS

2 INTRODUCTION Norwegian School of Music and Performing Arts - a unique type of school The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts play an important role in the Norwegian education system and in the local cultural milieu. Since starting up in the1960s, the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts have seen extensive development and growth. Today, Norway's Schools of Music and the Performing Arts offer around 125,000 places for students 1. There are many official reports and statements that bear witness to the great deal of interest in this type of school. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts have been sanctioned by the Education Act since 1997: Section Provision of courses in music and other cultural activities : " All municipalities, either alone or in collaboration with other municipalities, shall provide courses in music and other cultural activities for children and young people, organised in association with the school system and local cultural life." The Norwegian model for arts and cultural education has aroused a great deal of interest beyond Norway's borders as well: in the European cooperation on schools of music and performing arts and among our Nordic neighbours. This is clearly expressed in a statement from the Nordic Council's Culture and Education Committee in 2009: "The Committee would very much like to see the Arts and Cultural Education Scheme in Norway eventually spread to become a national priority throughout the Nordic countries". Challenges The vision of the Norwegian Council for Schools of Music and Performing Arts is "Arts and cultural education for all". This is a key aspiration in the development of the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts. Schools of Music and the Performing Arts will bear the mark of high-quality standards and abundant diversity, and will attend to both the breadth and talent of students. The Official Norwegian Report on Cultural Policy 2014 calls attention to the challenge that lies in solving the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' complex social responsibility. Schools of Music and the Performing Arts must also go on to develop a more diverse offering to improve the recruitment of children and youth with different cultural backgrounds. The Curriculum The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts must have a high-quality professional and pedagogical offering. Future Schools of Music and the Performing Arts must be able to offer greater flexibility in the organisation of their offerings, as well as provide clearer descriptions of their aim, content and working methods. The Curriculum addresses these challenges. 1 The Information System for Primary and Lower Secondary Education (GSI), Oct

3 The Plan classifies the various offerings into three training programmes which address activity, training and deeper understanding. The aim is to be able to establish high-quality offerings within the basic programme, the core programme and the in-depth programme. The "Diversity and Deeper Understanding" curriculum builds upon the Norwegian Council for Schools of Music and Performing Arts' Strategy 2020 and on the curriculum from "On the way to diversity". The Plan is also based on the Knowledge Promotion Reform from 2006, the knowledge promotion reforms from 2005 and 2009, The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts - The development of the Municipal Schools of Music and the Performing Arts as good local resource centres (2010), the Official Norwegian Report on Cultural Policy 2014 and Report to the Storting 20 ( ) On the right path - Quality and diversity in public schools. The Board for the Norwegian Council for Schools of Music and Performing Arts appointed the Curriculum Committee following the decision at the Norwegian Council for Schools of Music and Performing Arts' national meeting in The Committee was composed of: Eirik Birkeland, Chairman Morten Christiansen Kristin Geiring Eivind Nåvik Inger-Anne Westby Wenche Waagen Robert Øfsti Knut Øverland, Secretary 3

4 Table of Contents Introduction... 5 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOLS OF MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS' SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' mission The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' basic values The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' purpose The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' aim The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' roles as local resource centres The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' disciplines Teaching structure CHAPTER 2 - PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOLS OF MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS ACTIVITIES The municipality's responsibility as school owner The school administrator's responsibility Cooperation on student learning The role of the teacher and the profession Qualifications for employment at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts Quality of Schools of Music and the Performing Arts Local development, curriculum development and research

5 Introduction The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts attend to a diverse array of arts and cultural subjects and are tasked with the development of artistic competency and expression, as well as creativity, the ability to be critical and cultural and social competency. These skills are fundamental for life mastery and growth. The arts shape one's identity and expand one's capacity to understand the way others express themselves. Working with the arts develops the imagination and the senses, and as members of a cultural community, we develop our assurance and understanding of what it means to be human, alone and in the company of others. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts shall have high-quality professional and pedagogical offerings and present a considerably in-depth approach that goes beyond that of the compulsory education system. Instruction in the music and performing arts subjects is adapted to the individual, organised for the longterm and can instill in students a life-long interest, and for some for the basis of professional training in the arts. The School of Music and the Performing Arts offering has a broader artistic portfolio than does basic education and is primarily aimed at children and young people ages The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' programme offering shall attend to learning, experiences, creation and communication at all levels through broad recruitment and a systematic teaching plan. The offerings must be relevant for students who want to qualify for upper secondary education and higher education in the arts. As local resource centres, the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts shall also contribute to strengthening cultural competency and development in the local community through their commitment to cooperating with the educational, cultural and health sectors. This cooperation is aimed at all members of the municipality. The Curriculum is an essential document for the development of national standards and local curricula for this type of school. It presupposes the establishment of a quality assurance system for the systematic observation of the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' activities. Chapter 1 describes the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' fundamental values, their teaching roles and their roles as local resource centres. Chapter 2 describes scopes of responsibility, principles and pedagogical guidelines. Chapter 3 describes the professional and pedagogical content of each subject taught. 5

6 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOLS OF MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS' SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 1.1. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' mission The Education Act The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' social responsibility is entrenched in Sec of the Education Act: "All municipalities, either alone or in collaboration with other municipalities, shall provide courses in music and other cultural activities for children and young people, organised in association with the school system and local cultural life." (1997) Cooperation with the school system unites the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' mission with the objective of primary and lower secondary school: "The goal of teaching is to broaden the abilities of children, youth and adults to perceive and experience, emphathise, develop and participate. (National Curriculum K06) Norway's obligations in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' aims and objectives can contribute to attending to the obligations Norway has through international conventions. Norway ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on 8 January 1991, and in 2003 this convention and its optional protocols were directly adopted into Norwegian law through Sec. 2-4 of the Human Rights Acts. Children's rights to arts and cultural education are covered in Sec. 30 and 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: Article 30 In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or who is indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion or to use his or her own language. Article States Parties recognise the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. 2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity. On 17/10/2003, Norway agreed to ratify the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Cultural heritage is expressed through oral traditions and expression, practising 6

7 artistic traditions, social customs, rituals and holidays, knowledge of practices related to nature and traditional handicrafts, among other things. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts can make valuable contributions to these efforts. Encountering cultural heritage shows students the historical and cultural context they live in. Cultural heritage of the past, its products, traditions and mindset; cultural heritage of the present, through students' references and creative expressions here and now; and cultural heritage of the future, where students will use what they have learned in a world as yet unknown The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' basic values The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts are built on a humanistic perspective on life and on the social values of community, freedom of expression, human dignity and democracy. The Norwegian community accommodates a growing diversity of cultural expression. By recognising and raising awareness around this diversity, the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts can contribute to carrying forward and reviving our cultural heritage. Respecting cultures other than one's own requires knowledge of one's own culture and a secure sense of identity. Cultural activities create spaces for belonging and social fellowship, and can inspire people to participate in a "community of difference", which is a precondition for a functioning democracy. It is logical that the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts use the concept of expressive culture as the basis for their activities (The Official Norwegian Report on Cultural Policy 2014). Here the concept of expressive culture is limited in its definition to artistic activities, arts education, public-place encounters in connection with such education and the protection and passing on of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The concept encompasses the professional and non-professional practice of these forms of expression, as well as encountering such cultural expression as an audience. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' primary concern is to develop and attend to artistic and cultural competency. At the root of this is an overall view on human life and the idea that all humans have a sense of form and the need for expression which can be developed through education. Artistic and cultural expression affects the basic conditions of our existence, such as happiness, longing, dreams, melancholy and loneliness, and is a fundamental part of the learning process The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' purpose The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts shall provide high-quality professional and pedagogical training to all children and youth who desire such training. The purpose of the training is to learn, experience, create and communicate through cultural and artistic expression. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts are a key element of the interconnected line of teaching that can qualify students for admission to higher education in the arts if they have a particular interest and motivation. The training must contribute to the growth of children and youth, promote respect for others' cultural belonging, make students aware of their own identities, make them reflect critically and help them to develop their own life skills. 7

8 The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts shall also serve as local resource centres and cooperative partners in the basic education and cultural milieu in each municipality. At the regional level, inter-municipal collaboration models can ensure heightened diversity and high-quality offerings. At the national level, they are part of a nationwide cultural infrastructure that contributes to elevating the arts and culture as supporting elements of social development. Norwegian society is composed of many different ethnic groups with a great variety of cultural expressions. Greater geographic mobility and internationalisation contribute to making society far more complex than before. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts should reflect this diversity through a broadly complex educational offering in terms of teaching, communication and creative activities The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' aim The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts shall give all students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in the arts give all students the opportunity to discover and communicate their own artistic and cultural expressions strengthen students' aesthetic, social and cultural competences strengthen students' abilities to reflect critically and make decisions independently give opportunities for in-depth training that can provide a foundation for upper secondary and higher education in culture and the arts work with the school system to provide a general arts and cultural education offering for all children and youth contribute as local resource centres to strengthen cultural competency and development work with the cultural milieu to offer artistic and cultural support for training and communication for the entire local community 1.5. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' roles as local resource centres The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts shall work together with the educational and cultural sectors and contribute to strengthening competency and cultural development in the local community. This entails a collaborative commitment with kindergartens, primary and lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools, the local cultural milieu and professional mediators of arts and culture The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and primary and secondary education The general part of the curriculum for primary and secondary schools and upper secondary education calls attention to the possibilities brought about by exposure to the arts: 8

9 "Exposure to the creative arts allows one to step away from habitual ideas, challenges one's beliefs and offers experiences that spur critical reflection on generally accepted views that break with the old ways" (K06). The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' artistic and cultural competency can supplement compulsory education by working closely with the school system. The Cultural Rucksack (DKS) is part of the primary and lower secondary educational offering for all students. By attending concerts, performances and shows, students have the chance to see professional artists several times each school year, and teachers at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts can actively perform in the DKS offerings as well. The teachers and students at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts can also initiate collaborations with primary and lower secondary school and DKS on local productions. In this way, primary and lower secondary school students can have access to productions featuring national, regional and local performers. An arts and cultural offering has also been established for preschoolers and older students following the Cultural Rucksack model. The teachers and students at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts are natural contributors in the dissemination of arts and culture to these target groups. Cooperation between the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and primary and lower secondary schools should take place at the student level, teacher level and administrative level. For example, this might be cooperation on major performances and productions that reflect cultural diversity, integration of the artistic and cultural perspective into subjects, equipment and premises, development of methods and learning environments, pedagogical guidance and the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts as venues for shows and concerts. Teaching takes place individually and in smaller and larger groups. While primary and lower secondary education is organised by age and year, the teaching offered at the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts has a greater degree of mixed-age groups. This can facilitate networks among students from different communities, years and schools, and the mixed-age groups strengthen the learning environment at the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts as well. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' roles as local resource centres also encompass cooperation with the health sector and child welfare, social services, refugee services, health visitors and geriatric care, among others. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts provide important preparatory skills for the Programme for General Studies in Music, Dance and Drama, as well as for specialising in general studies of arts, crafts and design in upper secondary school. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts must aim to continuously strengthen their line of teaching from the beginner level to professional performance, both nationally and internationally The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and the cultural milieu Children, youth and adults from the local cultural milieu come together in different spaces for artistic and cultural activities. By participating in volunteer organisations, children and youth learn how a democratic community functions. By working together with the professional cultural milieu, students can meet important role models who can have a major impact on their motivation and work effort. 9

10 For bands, choirs, theatrical organisations, dance groups and organisations that make use of the educational offerings from the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts, this type of school will provide vital support for ensuring quality and continuity. The artistic and cultural milieu in the local community is a source of important collaborative partners for the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and the cultural milieu depend on one another to do a qualitatively good job in recruiting new members. The cooperation between the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and the cultural milieu can, for example, include agreements on the use of the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts teachers as conductors, accompanists, producers, instructors, stage directors and lighting and sound technicians. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' mission here is to be supportive of the volunteer cultural milieu activities by offering the competency presented by the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts staff. The investment in and shared use of equipment and facilities are other examples of how the volunteer cultural milieu and the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts can contribute to ensuring that resources are used in the best way possible. Another important actor is the Norwegian Youth Festivals of Art (UKM), which places emphasis on the cultural expression of young people through local cultural festivals. The festivals provide a space for communication, learning and experience. UKM also attends to the young people who are active in non-institutionalised artistic and cultural areas. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and UKM can collaborate on the preparation and implementation of local festivals. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts can also provide a suitable space for cultural entrepreneurship by cooperating with local, regional and national partners. In their roles as resource centres, the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts are involved in major aspects of the municipalities' artistic and cultural education offerings and in this way serve an important function in the foundation of local culture The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' disciplines The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' disciplines are primarily music, dance, theatre, visual art and creative writing. Instruction in subjects that go hand-in-hand with expressive culture may also be offered (see 1.2). Curricula for these subjects can be found in Chapter 3 of the Curriculum. The curricula attend to the aim of the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts on the terms of the disciplines. Learning objectives, content, various ways of working, flexible organisation of offerings and different forms of assessment shall be incorporated into each curriculum. Every student at the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts shall receive instruction that is adapted to their interests and needs. Furthermore, local curricula shall be developed for each Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' offering. In order to make an attractive offer and thereby ensure wide-range recruitment for this type of school, the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts shall emphasise diversity in their educational offerings. Each School of Music and the Performing Arts is responsible for 10

11 developing local curricula based on the Curriculum for all subjects offered at the school Teaching structure Instruction for the Cultural Schools' subjects will be organised into three training programmes with different profiles and objectives: the Basic Programme, the Core Programme and the In-depth Programme. The programmes shall attend to the need for adapted teaching and are classified by their class load and demand for individual effort. There is great professional/pedagogical potential for further development of the cooperation between individual observation and group instruction. Teaching shall give every student the opportunity to express themselves to a wider audience. Concerts, performances and shows shall be incorporated into the training for all students as an integrated element of education. All students shall receive feedback on their development and results through parent-teacher conferences. For students who wish to take their arts education further, training at the training programmes with different profiles and objectives: the Basic Programme, the Core shall provide them with the foundation they need to qualify for study programmes in music, dance and drama, as well as specialisation in general studies of arts, crafts and design, talent programmes at higher educational institutions and higher education in the arts. The Basic Programme This programme offers open admission to all interested students. The teaching shall contribute to developing creative skills, professional expertise and interpersonal skills as a basis for personal development. The Basic Programme includes subject offerings that are highly suitable for group and ensemble instruction. For example, these may be groups related to music, dance, theatre, visual art, play and rhythmic-based beginning learners, offerings for students with special needs and groups that combine different subjects. Instruction can be conducted in the form of introductory classes, beginner training or training for advanced learners. Participation requirements and expectations for individual effort will be specified by the particular instruction offered. The Core Programme This programme offers open admission to students who are motived to take on a greater work load and to make a systematic individual effort. The teaching content shall contribute to developing creative skills, craftsmanlike and artistic competency and interpersonal skills. Teaching will provide either beginner training or training for advanced learners. The programme shall qualify students for upper secondary education and is based on the long-term, progression and methodical training. The teaching is adapted to the individual student and takes place individually, in groups and in ensembles. The In-depth Programme The In-depth Programme has entrance examinations. The teaching emphasises the development of creative skills, craftsmanlike and artistic competency, independence and interpersonal skills. 11

12 The teaching and guidance are adapted to the individual student and take place individually, in groups and in ensembles. The In-depth Programme is for students who have a special interest in and qualifications for working within the discipline. The educational offering shall be considerably more rigorous with regard to content and scope as compared with the Core Programme. The programme demands a high level of determination and individual effort. The programme shall qualify students for upper secondary and higher education. Portions of the teaching may take place in collaboration with other institutions at the regional and national level. Each School of Music and the Performing Arts determines on its own the subjects it offers, the organisation of its offerings and the design of local curricula on the basis of the Curriculum. Within the subjects offered by the school, the local curriculum shall cover the descriptions of all three programmes. In order to strengthen the quality and breadth of its overall educational offering, each School of Music and the Performing Arts is encouraged to participate in inter-municipal and regional collaborations, cooperation with local artistic and cultural milieus, upper secondary schools and higher educational institutions and their talent development programmes. The three training programmes are described in more detail in the introduction to the centrally prescribed curricula in Chapter 3. 12

13 CHAPTER 2 - PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOLS OF MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS Introduction Sec of the Education Act instructs all municipalities in Norway, whether alone or in cooperation with other municipalities, to provide an educational facility for music and performing arts. The principle of equality in school and educational provision is a primary objective for cultural and education policy in Norway, and the Curriculum shall contribute to ensuring common national standards for the aim, content and quality of Schools of Music and the Performing Arts The municipality's responsibility as school owner As school owners, the municipalities are responsible for ensuring that the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' offerings comply with national regulations provided for in the Curriculum. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts shall be included in the municipalities' planning documents and can be part of the municipalities' strategic planning for education, culture and health. The school owners are responsible for ensuring that the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts have qualified teachers. Moreover, this includes ensuring teachers at the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts the same continuing education and supplementary training as teachers in the regular school system receive. The municipality can initiate collaborations with other municipalities/regions on continuing and supplementary education and can encourage the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts to accept students for practical training from higher educational institutions where conditions are favourable for doing so. School owners can also initiate collaborations with higher educational institutions on research and development efforts within the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' disciplines. The municipalities are responsible for ensuring that the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts have facilities that accommodate their educational offerings, and the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts shall be able to use other municipal teaching facilities at no cost. School owners should see to it that the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts can offer scholarships and moderated rates to ensure equal opportunities for participation in the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' offerings. With reference to the Education Act, the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts can be included in the county governor inspections with the municipalities. In addition to demanding to know the type of music and performing arts offering the municipality has, the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' cooperation with the school system and the cultural milieu can also be included in the inspection. National curricula are included in the Curriculum. The local curricula shall attend to national standards and local adaptations with regard to aim, content, organisation and assessment. Local curricula shall be developed for subjects offered at the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts. School owners are responsible for running the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and ensuring that they have a quality assurance system for teaching. 13

14 2.2. The school administrator's responsibility Each School of Music and the Performing Arts is individually responsible for carrying out continuous quality assurance checks on its offerings. School administrators must arrange for pedagogical development efforts for further developing subjects at the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts. Examples of development efforts may include attempts at organising teaching in different ways, the use of digital teaching tools, the production of teaching materials, as well as multicultural and interdisciplinary projects. Skills development for teachers through systematic, colleague-based cooperation can help teachers further develop their own practices and their skills of reflection. To ensure the knowledge-based development for this type of school, it requires further documented evidence and empirical studies on content, working methods and assessments for the subjects. Teachers and administrators at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts should receive more extensive training in investigating and documenting their own work experience, preferably in cooperation with higher education. The staff at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts should have opportunities to participate in regional, national and multinational networks of professionals and researchers Cooperation on student learning The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts have a particular responsibility to cooperate with the school system, bands, choirs, teams, organisations and volunteer and professional artistic and cultural organisations. In this way, students can have a broader arena for their artistic development and can be recognised for their knowledge and skills outside of the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts as well. Engaging in a learning environment that encourages participation in the cultural community has a major impact on students' motivation Cooperation with parents/guardians An important factor for a student's success is for parents and teachers to be engaged and supportive and for them to have expectations for the child's learning. Ongoing contact between the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and students' homes on their development, well-being, attendance and classroom effort are decisive for students' development and progress. Students and parents shall be informed of the expectations the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts have for students' efforts in the various programmes. They shall also be informed of the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' curricula for the relevant discipline and of what type of educational offering they should expect. Teachers' requirements and expectations for learning outcomes are of great importance for students' efforts and motivation. Clear and specific goals must be developed in terms of what students must learn, and teachers must discuss and articulate what signs indicate good learning processes. Teachers and parents must work together to motivate students to actively develop their artistic field outside of organised study hours as well. Students' personal, artistic and craftsmanlike growth and mastery are the most 14

15 important teaching goals. Teachers at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts must teach students to take responsibility for their own efforts and practise during and outside of lessons. Methods for integrating students' own training and practise into teaching should be a prioritised theme of the instruction. Some Schools of Music and the Performing Arts have long traditions of training students together with their parents. This can stimulate students' development and facilitate continuous observation at home. Over the course of the school year, one to two parent-teacher conferences should be held in which the teacher and student/parents meet to discuss and evaluate the student's learning process and learning outcomes, well-being and effort. Students learn primarily in lessons and when doing homework. However, learning also occurs in other situations. Experiencing different learning situations is an important part of the learning process. Students become much more motivated when they get to interact with others who have come farther in their discipline than they have themselves. Students must have the opportunity to wonder and experiment; to be junior researchers. They must discover means of expression and put them to use. Pupil participation and motivation go hand-in-hand. Dialogue between the student and the teacher in which the student is part of planning, developing their self-evaluation skills, giving their opinion on the environment at the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts, on the teaching and on how they are taught are all factors allow the student to have an influence on their own learning process Cooperation on broader arts and cultural training The National Curriculum for primary and lower secondary school calls for cooperation between primary and lower secondary schools and Schools of Music and the Performing Arts on the disciplines of music, art and handicrafts. In addition to cooperation on the content of the subjects, the teachers at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts can act as an important resources for instruction at the primary and lower secondary schools through joint projects. The teachers who work both at the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and primary and lower secondary schools or upper secondary schools have specialised knowledge of the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts students' artistic and cultural competences. Broader arts and cultural training can address the needs of different student groups through systematic cooperation and resource use. Digital teaching tools can be suitable for students' work within the arts. Students' regular exposure to media in their everyday lives is marked by many forms of communication and modes of expression that work together, such as images, sound, design and verbal communication. This can stimulate artistic and cultural projects that address interdisciplinarity and juxtaposed forms of expression. Learning through digital media is an ever-growing activity for children and youth, and should also be incorporated into the teaching at the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts Assessment for learning The concept of assessment for learning involves guidance, feedback for students and parent-teacher conferences where the aim is to create the best possible conditions for a student's development. The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts teachers' efforts in assessing various subjects and programmes should be strengthened through 15

16 systematic skills development. At the institutional level, it is important to continuously assess teaching methods and organisation, as well as all support functions that contribute to students' development The role of the teacher and the profession "The manners and ways of teachers determine whether students will have a continued interest, whether they feel that they are good at what they do and whether their enthusiasm lasts". (K06, General part). Teachers being in contact with students and students in contact with artistic activities are key for the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts. Teachers at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts must be conscious of the many roles they play as professionals: educationalists, performers, leaders of groups both big and small, organisers, project managers, coordinators, sources of inspiration, bearers of culture, evaluators and colleagues. School administration must arrange for teachers to be able to share and critically evaluate their professional competences. They must be able to describe and give reasons for their practices using common technical terms. This is how various forms of knowledge can be expressed to a greater degree and professionalism can be elevated, not least in contact with people and institutions outside of the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts. Each School of Music and the Performing Arts should emphasise and stimulate various the competences of their teachers. These should be the subject of reflection and interpretation, and used as the basis for discussions on the working environment and learning environment. Artistic competence Didactic competence Communicative competence Reflective competence Relational competence Leadership competence Lesson planning competence Evaluative competence Work ethic competence The quality of Schools of Music and the Performing Arts will depend on teachers have working conditions conducive to their ability to develop as performers within their subject fields. The teacher's role as active performer serves as a positive example for the students. As part of professional development, it is crucial that the group of teachers and administration receive training in local curriculum development in order to contribute to the implementation of the Curriculum and associated curricula Qualifications for employment at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts 1. Appointment to a teaching position normally requires: Higher education in the performing and/or creative arts which matches the teaching duties for the position. A minimum of three years of education in the arts. The requirement for practical pedagogical education applies to everyone. 16

17 Alternatively: Subject teacher training programme with a minimum of 120 credits in the arts. Under special circumstances, school owners may appoint applicants who do not meet these requirements if they can provide documented evidence of having equivalent competence. 2. Appointments to administrative posts at the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts shall require the same professional qualifications as for appointments to teaching positions. School administrators must have at least three years of experience from a School of Music and the Performing Arts and relevant management training and/or relevant managerial experience. Under special circumstances, school owners may appoint applicants who do not meet these requirements if they can provide documented evidence of having equivalent competence Quality of Schools of Music and the Performing Arts The quality of teaching should be the subject of constant discussion at the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts. School owners are responsible for ensuring that there is a quality assurance system for the school activities and the school owners are also responsible for carrying out systematic quality assurance efforts. The efforts aim to contribute to the development of the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts in all target areas of the Curriculum. Important elements of the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' quality assurance efforts may include: Teaching and learning quality: Students' individual efforts and activity Relationship between goals and realisation of various programmes Teaching, learning processes and learning environment Teacher competency and cooperation with colleagues Pedagogical development Quality of outside factors: Admission procedures Volume of teaching hours and organisation of teaching Equipment and facilities Use of resources Quality of activities: Cooperation between the Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and the home Competence-building plans for teachers and administrators Cooperation among Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and sources of competency in the greater community Level of activity, number of concerts/performances/shows The Schools of Music and the Performing Arts' quality assurance system Long-term perspective in planning operations Working environment Administration Cooperation among Schools of Music and the Performing Arts and external partners The template for the quality assurance system can be found in Chapter 3 of the Curriculum. 17

18 2.7. Local development, curriculum development and research The field of cultural education is a relatively new professional field that is in need of research and development in order to generate more knowledge about this type of school. It is important that teachers at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts are given support to develop their own practices and to pursue professional and pedagogical development work. It is decisive for the development of this type of school that groups of teachers and administrators are given opportunities to pursue continuing/ supplementary training on curriculum development in order to contribute to the implementation of the new Curriculum and associated curricula, as well as contribute to the preparation of local curricula for subjects at Schools of Music and the Performing Arts in each municipality. Artistic higher educational institutions can work together with those working in the field to initiate and carry out research projects and pedagogical and artistic development projects that focus on such things as new working methods and ways to organise teaching, the development of new teaching material, cooperation on creative and performance activities, interdisciplinary projects, local entrepreneurship and multimedia teaching. 18