Give children ‘five-a-day’ of arts lessons to boost creative appetite

SCHOOLS should give children their “five-a-day” in arts lessons to promote reading, painting and dancing, campaigners have urged.

More than 500 primary school teachers and a child psychologist have created guidance calling for a daily minimum of 65 minutes dedicated to the arts for under-12s.

Modelled on the “five-a-day” advised daily amount of fruit and vegetables, it suggested primary school children should spend a daily average of 17 minutes on literature, including reading, creative writing and making up stories.

Pupils should also spend 14 minutes on arts and crafts, and 12 minutes on music, including playing an instrument or singing.

Drama, comprising acting, reading or writing a play and going to the theatre or cinema, is allocated 11 minutes. Children should spend the same amount of time on dance, it advised, trying out styles from ballet to street dance and watching performers.

In the UK and Ireland, some 6,263 teachers from 4,662 primary schools – 41 per cent of which are in deprived areas with high levels of disadvantaged pupils – have signed up to the plan.

Kimberley Walsh, 39, the Girls Aloud singer and West End star, has backed the campaign. It is hoped to help youngsters catch up on all they missed in the pandemic.

The mother-of-three said: “The arts were such an important part of my life growing up, whether it was singing with a hairbrush to Kylie, dancing with my sisters or performing plays in front of the family.”

The plan was unveiled by TV channel Sky Arts during its Access All Arts Week, an education scheme for primary schools. Its nationwide initiative offered downloadable teaching resources developed with leading artists including poet Benjamin Zephaniah and author Liz Pichon.

The channel consulted Laverne Antrobus, a child psychologist, and asked 504 primary teachers how long children should spend on different art subjects. She said: “Having the opportunity to paint, to dance, to write poetry has huge well-being benefits for a young child, helping them to develop self-confidence and a positive self image.”

She added: “Access to the arts helps to build creative skills which are likely to be in demand later in life – for example, problem-solving and imagination.

“The idea of a [recommended daily allowance] for the arts is a brilliant way to put a simple framework around the importance it holds for children and their development.”