Catap: Arts and education
SIR John Lubbock, an English banker, politician and philanthropist, wrote the book “The Pleasures of Life,” which was published in 1887. This book has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.
One of the important quotes that can be derived from this book goes: “Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life.”
Indeed, how can we imagine our life without arts? The answer to this is that our life will be dull and maybe insensible because arts give substance to our existence. Art has many forms: painting, sculpture, literature, architecture, cinema, music, and theater. All of these forms of art give us an escape to express ourselves, and in one way or another, offer us the opportunity to appreciate life in every imaginative way possible.
And what is the role of the arts in education? Professor David Booth of the University of Toronto wrote in one of his books: “The arts are a way of learning, of exploring, of responding, of revealing and demonstrating, of imagining, depicting, and making meaning. They belong in the school curriculum, as they belong in the minds and hearts of all lifelong learners.” International studies and researches reveal that “study and participation in the fine arts is a key component in improving learning throughout academic areas.”
As we envision to uplift the quality of teaching and learning in our schools and seek to improve the learning outcomes for our students to be at par with the other students in the world, we must make bold efforts to ensure that other special skills such as in the arts and sports are also given emphasis for our learners to have diverse competencies that will help them become well-rounded individuals. We know that arts can help improve the way our learners appreciate the lessons and help them become creative in everything that they do whether at home or in school.
The Special Program for the Arts is a nationwide program for students with potentials or talents in the Arts. One pilot school in every region was selected to pilot and implement this program and is now in its tenth year of implementation. The selected school offers a comprehensive secondary education program centered in the Arts, covering a range of art forms and disciplines. Arts education is an integral component of a balanced educational program in all year levels which also provides the background for post-secondary/ tertiary level work. The fields include Creative Writing in English and Filipino, Visual Arts, Theater Arts, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, Dance, and Media Arts.
Almost five years ago, education and local government officials envisioned a region and a Luzon Cluster nurtured by the people's pride in their artistic and cultural traditions. The proposal to establish a Regional High School for the Arts in Balanga City which is seen to become a national center for excellence and leadership in the arts, research, training, education and support system has been started, and with the strong support of our local government officials led by the Honorable Jose Enrique S. Garcia III. Through Republic Act No. 11190, the Bataan High School for the Arts is the second specialized public high school in the Philippines offering arts-focused education after the Makiling-based Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA).
The School aims to develop artistically gifted and talented students by implementing a special secondary education curriculum and support programs committed to the conservation and promotion of the Filipino artistic and cultural traditions. This is also a Center for Arts and Design of the Senior High School Program among the twenty school divisions of Central Luzon.
The PHSA is now officially located in Bagac, Bataan after the signing of the usufruct agreement between the Department of Education and the Acuzar Family will take place at the Bunker, Provincial Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan on February 4, 2021. The said agreement was entered by and between the DepEd as Usufructuary represented by the Schools Division Superintendent of DepEd Bataan Romeo M. Alip, PhD, CESO V, and Miss Maria Jose A. Bautista, landowner and daughter of Jerry Acuzar, owner of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.