Arts education has a key developmental role to play in Africa

It is truism to state that education is key to development. But Africa also needs to promote access to arts education as a development tool.

The Best Countries Report, conducted by US News and World Report, BAV Group, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, places the US, UK, Germany and Canada as the countries offering the highest quality education. At the other end, UNICEF’s latest report shows that approximately 42 million African children of primary and secondary school age are not enrolled in school, with Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Mali scoring the lowest-ranked education systems. With the youngest population in the world and nearly 800 million Africans under the age of 25, the need for investment in education is vital for the continent to take full advantage of its human capital.

Although basic education is usually compulsory in African countries, young people often drop out of school to work and provide for their families. The ideal school would be a place where, first and foremost, a child is happy to go to. A place where educators make students fall in love with maths and history. The school should be a place where there is time not only for academics, but also for arts including dance, theatre, painting. Indeed, in a playful way, arts push young learners to develop personal motivation, critical thinking, verbal skills, stimulating curiosity, concentration, and teamwork. Creativity helps children to cope with their feelings and fears, build confidence and develop a sense of individual identity; they often prefer practical to theoretical work. Not only does learning through and about the arts enrich the school experience, but it also releases the pressure from other aspects of their lives. Clearly, involvement in the arts can enhance cognitive ability.

A shift in perception in Africa about art is therefore needed. Art should no longer be viewed only as a source of entertainment, a delight for the elite, or an alternative for those who struggle with technical or intellectual subjects. Rather, it should be appreciated as a fundamental contributor to human development, therefore to the economic and social development of the continent.

Pablo Picasso said that “every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Let’s overcome this problem by giving African children the space and freedom to grow as emerging artists.