The arts-in-education project: Implication for arts education reform in Hong Kong

The aims of the recent arts education reform is to build on the strengths of existing practices, to allow greater autonomy for schools to fully develop their school-based arts curriculum and to provide space for more new art forms for students to pursue their preferences in the arts. This paper investigates the effects of the ‘Arts-in-Education’ project (2001-2002), piloted in two secondary schools in Hong Kong, on the school curriculum and student learning. Results of the case study where the artist worked collaboratively with the schoolteachers during formal and informal hours on a musical production revealed that special timetabling arrangements could greatly facilitate a successful model. Other factors contributing to effective student learning included the commitment and dedication of the artist, a strong artist/school partnership, common goals, sufficient funding and full support from the school management and parents. Qualitative data, collected from lesson observation, interviews, focus group meeting and project documents had revealed successful ingredients for the across-the-arts and the interdisciplinary approaches, while pressing issues also emerged, to which educators need to pay special attention when responding to arts education reform. Copyright © 2003 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.