Top School Trips 6

BEYOND THE PALE? As literature departments have discovered, some creative works previously considered worthy of study can nowwarrant “content”or “trigger”warnings. Caroline Aldous considers whether the same can be said for visual art… S hould we be more careful when deciding what artworks to show to our students? I recently visited the fantastic Gilbert & George Centre in Shoreditch with a group of sixth form students. The exhibition included a range of new pieces by the artists – including one in the gallery that was titled Date Rape . In the typical style of Gilbert and George, it was a brightly coloured sectional piece with a large “date” picture at the forefront – and it made me feel a little uncomfortable. I’d already forewarned the students that Gilbert and George’s work could be controversial at times, perhaps even shocking – but I was still worried that this particular piece might well upset someone. Might it prove to be a “trigger” for someone in my group? Engagement and opposition As teachers, it seems we’re now faced with an unprecedented volume of parental complaints. In 2023, Ofsted received 14,900 complaints about schools – an almost 25% increase on the previous year. Prior to the pandemic, schools received around 10,300 parental complaints in 2019/20, and around 12,200 in 2018/19 (see bit.ly/ts131-CW1) . Parents have become much more engaged and opinionated about their children’s education. This means that as teachers, what we choose to show them could now have much wider implications than before. In Florida last year, Hope Carrasquilla – at that time, a principal at a Christian charter school – was asked to resign after sixth grade students at the school were taught about, and shown a picture of Michelangelo’s David statue. The calls came after a parent claimed the image was pornographic. Carrasquilla hadn’t pre-warned parents that the students were being shown the sculpture. This may have been an extreme case, but teachers need to confront the fact that they’re now making calls over learning content that could potentially impact their careers in dramatic ways. Which prompts the obvious question – could this fear of cultural pushback end up restricting students’ learning and effectively wall off material previously considered perfectly acceptable? Avoiding the discussion At the same time that unrestricted internet access has enabled students to view almost anything they like – including hardcore pornography – the criteria for what’s deemed as “acceptable” in class seems increasingly restrictive. Speaking to a colleague who teaches English, I asked if any books they had taught previously were now deemed unacceptable. She replied that the book Of Mice and Men was one that her department had since withdrawn, due to its inclusion of the “N” word – a word broadly seen as so unacceptable that I feel unable write it in full here. Hearing this prompted me to wonder whether a teacher might at least be able to explain the history behind the word and thus still “use” it, albeit only in the context of academic discussion. By attempting to erase the word completely, are we helping students to confront old, yet persistent prejudices, or simply avoiding discussions of difficult topics from a place of fear? Art of all kinds has endeavoured to shock and challenge people’s views throughout history. In 1863, Manet’s Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe was rejected by the Salon in Paris for its portrayal of a naked woman surrounded by clothed men. I imagine that a similar piece shown now would prove similarly controversial in the wake of developments like the #MeToo movement, and its highlighting of serial abuses of women by men in positions of power. Narrowed horizons Modern conversations around “cancel culture”, Black Lives Matter and #MeToo have all done much to shape people’s thoughts and opinions, and recalibrate our notions of what’s culturally acceptable – but our students still need guidance and help in answering difficult questions and engaging with current issues and events. The way students now react to art is interesting. Over the past 10 years, the teaching time allocated to creative subjects has been cut signifcantly. DfE figures published in June 2018 showed that between 2010 and 2017, the number of teaching hours dedicated to arts subjects in English secondary schools fell by 21%, accompanied by a 20% reduction in the number of arts teachers. It could be argued that these (notably pre-pandemic) reductions have caused a generation to be exposed to only a very narrow and prescribed art curriculum. Most schools are still predominantly teaching students about white, male European artists such as Van Gogh, Turner et al , despite Ofsted stating that it’s now looking for greater curriculum diversity in their inspections. Students’ ideas of what art even is also appear to be narrowing. To prove this point, ask any student to name three female British artists. I did so myself, and they struggled. I then asked the same question of colleagues, and saw similar results. If, however, you ask them to name three artists , they probably can – but more often than not, the names you’ll hear will be those of white European men, or at a push, Andy Warhol. What teachers need is more time to present students with a greater “Could this fear of cultural pushback end up restricting students’ learning?” 12 | www.teachwire.net/school-trips