Following fierce opposition to the omission of compulsory arts education from the proposed Ebacc, the new qualification has been scrapped, apparently saving the arts in the school curriculum. But nonetheless a survey of more than 2,500 teachers shows the amount of time devoted to art has been slashed by 16 per cent on average. Another survey found 50% of art and design teachers reported a drop in the numbers of children studying the subject, and cuts to budgets. So regardless of the Ebacc row, how can we best inspire children to study arts subjects? Is Tracey Emin right that unless they are compulsory, arts subjects will ‘fall by the wayside’? Do the arts have a place in the official curriculum at all, or might they thrive more in an extra-curricular, free space?

Behind the headline debates lie an ambiguity about what art education is. Is it basically about fine art and music, or also drama, dance and design & technology? Should the emphasis be creative expression or critical appreciation? Initiation into a tradition or the acquisition of skills like drawing or reading music? Are the arts disciplines comparable to other school subjects such as English, maths, sciences, foreign languages, history or geography? Or are they better understood as life-enriching or character-building activities, supporting children’s emotional and moral development? If so, what if you don’t like art? Does it mean your morals and emotions are ‘less educated’? What role should the arts have in schools?