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The Nanyang
Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) which traces its outstanding
achievements in nurturing artistic talents since its founding,
has been one
national pride, as far as the development of art in Singapore
is concerned.
Art education found its origin in NAFA. Since then art education
has served to stimulate, nurture and refine the spiritual
and the mind. As such the development of the good character
of a person and attitude towards aesthetic living should be
prioritised in an attempt to achieve the wholeness in education.
A good art teacher must not only be proficient in the technical
aspect of teaching, but also be knowledgeable in the natural
sciences, as well as competent in applying the psychology
of art teaching.
Basically, school art is all about children's creative art
making. It should fundamentally avoid compromising with standards
of mindless reproductions, mundane copying and filling in
of colours, etc. Art teaching today should facilitate
the bringing to the exterior the inner feelings and conceptualisation
of these expressions in myriad individualistic forms and styles.
Mere copying and imitation will impede the realisation of
creative thinking and reduce students' confidence in making
artistic innovations and creations.
Inevitably, art educators should mediate, guide, initiate
and trigger the creative impulses in order that art lessons
could be effective and fruitful. The teacher should try to
use the simplest possible concrete examples to
motivate the children, helping them to make sharp and careful
observations so that discursive responses may be established
as well. Naturally, the
outcome will result in art appreciation, thus increasing the
students' sensitivity of and awareness to their surroundings.
If students are able to
produce confident creative works, the teaching of arts in
schools has
somewhat achieved its basic objectives of discovering the
artistic potential
of individuals. In short, the roles of teachers are to stimulate,
guide,
encourage and evaluate.
Besides
all other approaches employed in the realm of general education,
art education inescapably enriches and complements the refinement
and continuation of the culture of humanity.
To increase the standard of art making in schools, the Ministry
of Education (MOE) provides several in-service courses for
all art teachers. In recent years, NAFA has been providing
the following courses, namely: 3-year Western art, 2-year
Chinese ink painting and drawing, and short courses in craft
making and sculptural explorations.
Since 1996, NAFA and MOE have worked together to implement
the "In-Service Diploma in Art Education (Primary) Programme"
that caters for primary school art teachers. The programme
lasts 300 hours and lecturers are professionals experienced
in the field of art education.
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