The visual arts and education

of showing policy-makers how useful philosophy can be in testing the credentials of current initiatives and suggesting how they can be improved.IMPACT symposia have attracted Government ministers their opposition Shadows, other members of parliament, chief executives from a wide range of organisations including the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the Institute of Directors, the Trades Union Congress, the General Teaching Council, The National Union of Teachers, Politeia and Demos, as well as key educational journalists and academics involved in policy-making.Further IMPACT papers are being published at the rate of roughly two per year Each IMPACT pamphlet expresses the ideas of its author or authors only.It does not represent the view of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain.There is, indeed, no such single view.PESGB contains several hundred members whose ideas and political allegiances are widely disparate. *****What is the place of the visual arts in British schools today?If John Gingell is right, their place is marginal at best, and this is partly because the rationale or justification for visual arts education is far from clear.To the extent that they have a place in the curriculum, this is sanctioned by tradition; they are taught because they have always been taught.The sort of justification is hopelessly weak, and the aims of this pamphlet are to argue that the visual arts should occupy an important place in the curriculum, and why.Three candidate justifications are discussed at length in chapters one and two.The first has to do with the enhancement of creativity, the second relates to self expression; and the third defends the visual arts in terms of moral and social education.