THE CONCEPT OF STUDENTS’ HUMANISTIC CULTURE EDUCATION THROUGH ARTISTIC ACTIVITIES
I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
- The purpose of the Concept of students’ humanistic culture education through artistic activities (hereinafter – the Concept) is to define the students’ humanistic culture education, which may be implemented in a non-governmental general education school, and the elements of the system of humanities culture education – in municipal or state general education school. (hereinafter referred to as the School of Humanistic Culture) in accordance with the procedure established by legal acts. The concept defines the aims, principles and main provisions of the humanistic culture education through artistic activities, the content of education, the peculiarities of the organization of the educational process, the requirements for teachers and the head of the school.
- Tis Concept is based on legal acts as The Law on Education of the Republic of Lithuania (Official Gazette Valstybės žinios, 1991, No. 23-539; 2011, No. 38-1804), the Concept of non-traditional education, approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania in 2010, March 5 by order no. V-299 (Official Gazette, 2010, No. 30-1400) and other legal acts.
- The terms used in the concept correspond to the terms used in the Law on Education of the Republic of Lithuania.
II. OBJECTIVES, PRINCIPLES AND BASIC PROVISIONS OF STUDENTS’ HUMANISTIC CULTURE EDUCATION THROUGH ARTISTIC ACTIVITIES
4. Artistic activities in developing students’ humanistic culture aim to ensure that students:
4.1. together with primary, basic and secondary education, acquire artistic competencies, take over humanistic values and base their lives on them;
4.2. reveal their creative powers, develop an understanding of the essential features of works of arts or performances and be able to evaluate critically their own works and works of other people;
4.3. understand cultural, artistic heritage and cultural diversity;
4.4. be interested in the arts, music and theatre for the whole life.
- Principles of education of students’ humanities culture:
5.1. aesthetics – artistic activities help the student to gain and be able to share aesthetic experience;
5.2. creativity – artistic activities encourage the spread of students’ creative powers and abilities through formal and non-formal education;
5.3. democracy – artistic activity liberates the student’s initiative and guarantees cultural openness;
5.4. humanity – opportunities for participants in the educational process to develop reveal their values of attention, justice, honesty and respect; development of their proficiency, independence and confidence is ensured;
5.5. consistency – systematic and long-term development of students’ humanities culture is ensured;
5.6. Integrity – interdisciplinary integration, professional cooperation of teachers is promoted.
- The main settings of the development of humanistic culture through artistic activities:
6.1. the skills and values acquired through artistic activity, such as aesthetics, creativity, respect, altruism, responsibility, loyalty, tolerance, self-control and other patterns of behavior, transferred to life and education, become a key factor in the formation of personality and it’s individual culture;
6.2. humanistic culture is perceived as the unity of a person’s consciousness and the way it behaves, which is influenced by the humanistic values present in the culture; it also facilitates the self-expression of the person in that cultural environment;
6.3. the concept of humanistic culture is based on cultural theories, where the culture is defined as a world of purposeful values, created by activities inherent in human society; it is a socially effective model that ensures a responsible, ethically required behavior in relationship of an individual and the group; such behavior is achieved by the perfection of human nature by means of human action, giving man higher ideas for further action; works of art, as peculiar models of real life, aesthetic experience allow to experience imaginary situations, provide ideas for improving behavior and thus enrich personal experience. This perception is based on the philosophical statements of Immanel Kant, Vytautas Kavolis, Stasys Šalkauskis, Clifford Geertz, etc;
6.4. a person’s culture is formed through the synthesis of cognitive activities and emotional experiences, when cognitive schemes are memorized with a certain emotional background that determines the nature of the personal culture; artistic activities, linked to personal experience, acquire features of cognitive activity that reflect the real environment and provide emotional experiences; it enables a person to develop by constantly creating himself, participating in meaningful selfless activities, spreading goodness, beauty and truth; to strengthen established approach that the basis of humanity is science, art and virtue and that it is the arts that discloses a person’s personality and culture. These attitudes are based on the philosophical statements of Roy D’Andrade, Claudia Strauss, Maurice Weitz, John Hospers, Monroe C. Beardsley, Vydūnas, Žibartas Jackūnas;
6.5. the development of a humanistic culture is based on an approach to the learner that requires acknowledging it’s individuality, cultivating it with love and nurturing a harmonious, free personality; ability to create is the main goal of human education and the way to awaken humanity, virtue, dignity, sense of worth, courage in a person; artistic education needed for everybody, and quality music education is essential for every child, educating not only performers but also a skilled, cultural audience; aesthetic education can have a positive effect on students’ creativity and non-traditional thinking; artistic activities are significant for the harmonious students’ integration into the cultural environment; its educational power is manifested in the creation of aesthetic values, and especially in sharing them with others. These attitudes are taken from the pedagogical attitudes of Rudolf Steiner, Karl Orf, Zoltan Kodaly, Rūta Girdzijauskienė, Arvydas Girdzijauskas.
III. CONTENT OF STUDENTS’ HUMANISTIC CULTURE EDUCATION THROUGH ARTISTIC ACTIVITIES
- Pupils study at the School of Humanistic Culture according to the general primary, basic and secondary education programs and the Arts and Cultural Education Program, which is registered in accordance with the procedure established by the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania.
- The curriculum of the School of Humanistic Culture must not contradict the general curricula and the general education programs, it must be coordinated with the institution implementing the rights and obligations of the school owner (meeting of stakeholders). The total number of subjects and the amount of hours appointed to an individual subject during the entire study period (grades 1–12) may not differ by more than 25 percent.
- While studying according to the Art and Cultural Education Program at the School of Humanistic Culture, students voluntarily engage in artistic and cultural activities, choosing its forms and methods.
- In the implementation of the Artistic and Cultural Education Program, the artistic mode (creation, performance, analysis, evaluation, etc.) is used intensively and harmoniously, the coherence of general education and artistic education subjects is ensured, and the systematic nature of artistic education is guaranteed. Students’ connections with the world of arts and culture are strengthened. Pupils’ empathy and aesthetic experiences are encouraged to take over humanistic values and regard them as their own. Students develop the ability to interpret works of art in a cultural context, to perceive them as models of life situations.
- The program of artistic and cultural education complements the content of primary, basic and secondary education, it is implemented taking into account the stages of the student’s personality development, the essential needs of a growing person. The system of developing students’ humanistic culture through artistic activities integrates formal and non-formal education, the activities of art, music groups and the individual activities of students, class teachers, general education and art education teachers.
- In the course of their education in the Arts and Cultural Education program, students set personal goals based on humanistic values and pursue them in a planned manner; independently choose and voluntarily participate in cultural, cognitive, project, concert activities, the results of their personal artistic activities are displayed inside and outside the school.
- During the implementation of the Arts and Cultural Education Program, students’ artistic abilities are developed, including various types of arts, and their cultural awareness is raised. Students are encouraged to share artistic experiences and become savvy users of the arts. Arts education is expected to help students achieve personal and social or cultural outcomes such as confidence and self-esteem, self-expression, teamwork, intercultural understanding and participation in cultural life; to focus on creativity.
- The School of Humanistic Culture creates an open, calm, creativity friendly cultural environment through its educational activities. Democratic relations prevail in the school community. Educational environment in accordance with the Lithuanian hygiene standard HN 21: 2011 “School implementing general education programs. General Health Safety Requirements ”, approved by the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania in 2011. August 10 by order no. V-773 (Official Gazette, 2011, No. 103-4858), guarantees the implementation of educational programs.
IV. PECULIARITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITISTIC CULTURE
15. In the School of Humanistic culture, the educational process can take place part-day, full-time, five days a week.
16. Primary, basic and secondary education programs shall be supplemented with at least one subject of arts education.
17. After the lessons, one pupil is offered to choose up to 10 hours of non-formal education activities per week, the hours are financed from the funds of the pupil’s basket allocated by the state, and the institution implementing the rights and obligations of the owner (stakeholders’ meeting).
18. By studying according to the primary education program, students learn music (expression, creation, interpretation, musical language), art (drawing, composition), theater (acting, stage language), dance, folk art and other subjects in the field of arts. Pupils learn artistic expression in primary school choirs, vocal ensembles, art studies, ethnoculture, ceramics and other non-formal education activities tailored to their needs. Pupils in grades 2 to 4 learn to play the piano, violin, flute, kankles or other instruments.
19. In the basic education program, students learn music (expression, creation, interpretation, musical language), art (painting, graphics, composition), theater (acting, stage culture and language), dance and other arts subjects. Pupils study artistic expressions in choirs, ensembles, art and fashion studios, ceramics, photography, phytodesign, painting, Orff instruments and other non-formal education activities tailored to their needs. Students continue to learn to play musical instruments.
20. In the secondary education program, students study music (expression, creation, interpretation, musical language), art (painting, graphics, drawing, composition), aesthetics and other arts subjects. They study artistic expression in art studios, choirs, ensembles, non-formal education classes in theater, dance, clothing modeling and music technology. Students can continue learning to play musical instruments.
21. The implementation of the arts and culture education program is organized by the class leaders, who bring together a group of teachers of arts and 3-4 general education subjects teachers working with the class. Such a group of class teachers’ cultural education integrates the content, forms and means of the arts and cultural education, general education program.
22. In addition to the artistic and cultural education program, the School of Humanistic Culture also carries out other non-formal education activities: mathematicians, journalists, writers, historians, foreign languages (English, German, Russian and others), discussion groups, sports clubs. Interclass, interdisciplinary school projects, project teaching weeks, active concert, social and educational activities of students at the city, national and international levels are organized.
23. At the School of Humanistic Culture, the progress and achievements of students’ learning shall be assessed in accordance with the procedure established by the Law on Education of the Republic of Lithuania and other legal acts. Much attention is paid to the daily efforts of the student to reflect on the educational process. Pupils’ artistic expression is assessed as an integral part of arts education subjects, and pupils’ efforts and academic achievements can be assessed separately.
V. REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHERS AND MANAGERS
24. The head of a school and teachers working according to general education programs must comply with the requirements provided for in the Law on Education of the Republic of Lithuania and have subject and pedagogical competence.
25. It is desirable that teachers of arts education and other non-formal education have artistic, cultural or social experience and / or be recognized for merit at national level.
