Original article here.
Producer Sonia Friedman has hailed changes to the national curriculum that will give greater prominence to drama and scrap the controversial English Baccalaureate as “absolutely essential” for society as a whole.
The producer was responding to news released by the government this week, in which it set out its plans for the curriculum following a much-anticipated review.
Key among the recommendations that the government will implement is the removal of the EBacc and a greater role for drama in the curriculum.
Friedman said: “There is no society without culture. It’s not only positive but absolutely essential that the government is making these vital changes to the national curriculum. Access to the arts is fundamental for young people, not just to enrich their lives culturally, but because it has been proven to support mental well-being, nurture emotional intelligence, foster empathy and build community.”
She added: “The arts teach young people to imagine, to collaborate and to see the world through other people’s eyes – skills that are crucial for life and work alike. A school theatre trip can stay with you forever. It can spark creativity and open doors to worlds and possibilities you never knew existed.”
Friedman said these experiences were needed at the “heart of our education system” and described it as “heartening” that steps were being taken to recognise the “essential role the arts play in shaping who we become as both individuals and as a society”.