School education is now being made even more enriching and engaging in Delhi Government schools. Children will be taught Hindi, English, Mathematics and other mainstream subjects not only using textbooks, but also through the means of music, dance, theatre and art. The Kejriwal government has partnered with Nalanda-way Foundation on the ‘Delhi Arts Curriculum’ – a key pilot project initiated across 9 of its government schools. The pilot initiative, conducted from July 2022 to March 2023, has witnessed resounding success – having completely transformed the pedagogy being used in schools to improve learning outcomes. The Delhi Arts Curriculum’s pilot project report, which shares key findings and highlights, was launched on Tuesday in the presence of Education Minister Ms. Atishi. The Education Minister also inaugurated the exhibition of artworks made by the students, over the course of the pilot project.
On this occasion, the Education Minister said, “When a child comes to school every morning, they are immensely energetic and full of unbridled curiosity. It is extremely vital that we undertake changes in methods of teaching and learning to ensure that we can leverage this curiosity and help the child learn as much as possible”. She said that ‘Art Integrated Learning’ under the ‘Delhi Arts Curriculum’ has been a key initiative towards the success of this mission, empowering children to identify their artistic skills and express themselves with confidence, while keeping their curiosity to learn alive.
Ms. Atishi also said that after the pilot phase of this curriculum, the self confidence being exhibited by students who were part of this initiative indicates its resounding success. She said that when children are in primary classes and are asked whether they are familiar with art, music, dance etc., they all answer in the affirmative. But as they grow up, their confidence for visual and performing arts seems to erode. Ultimately, this implies that the confidence for art with which children enter school, is lost over the course of their education in the current system.
She also said that the pilot phase of the ‘Delhi Arts Curriculum’ has successfully tackled this challenge and the plan is to further adopt it in other Delhi Govt schools as well.
What is ‘Delhi Arts Curriculum’?
Delhi Arts Curriculum is a crucial initiative aimed at changing the way art education is imparted amongst students. Keeping in mind the unique cultural heritage and diversity of Delhi, this curriculum has been developed over the years by a team of experts and teachers. It focuses on students from the ages of 3 to 13. The curriculum integrates 5 art forms in classrooms to help improve learning outcomes; namely visual arts, music, dance, theatre and media arts.
During the pilot phase, children from Nursery to Class 5 were encouraged to express themselves, through art exposure and exhibitions. Utilising the medium of music, dance and visual arts, the students were provided a platform where they started learning various subjects through these art forms.
Music poetry was used to teach Hindi and English to the students of classes 3 to 5. Furthermore, students of classes up to 8th engaged in learning through Music Theatre.
During this project, grade 8 students from each school developed their own music theatre production – involving scriptwriting, costume design, music composing, dance and art direction.
The Delhi Arts Curriculum enables children to have an enriching learning experience through Visual and Performing Arts. Around 4000 students participated in the pilot project, over the course of 9 months. As a result of this curriculum, substantive changes were observed in the learning outcomes of students, boosting their confidence and enhancing their capability to express through art.
Considering the unprecedented success of the ‘Delhi Arts Curriculum’, preparations are being made to start the same across more schools of the Kejriwal government. Teachers are also being trained extensively as a part of this initiative.
Changes observed amongst students after the pilot phase of the Delhi Arts Curriculum
- Students prepare their own original art work, using their imagination and realising their artistic potential.
- Children have started sharing their personal experiences using art.
- Attendance and participation of children in the class recorded immense growth.
- Children reflected upon and identified their skills, helping them to learn to work in a team.
Under this curriculum, various exhibitions were also organised in schools, wherein students had a chance to demonstrate their talent, while also involving their parents in various art activities.
