School arts cuts so short-sighted

SIR, – Mrs Robertson, “Arts cuts will set schools back 40 years” (Press and Journal, June 27), is right to be critical of Aberdeenshire Council's proposals for specialist teaching of music, art and drama.

To cut vital parts of children's educational experience is, to say the least, short-sighted, but from the viewpoint of educational psychology it's seriously flawed.

These subjects are just as important for the psychological development of all children, of all ages, as is the teaching of numeracy, literacy and science.

This isn't the first Aberdeenshire Council assault on the arts and music, as there were similar cutback policies in 1997 and again in 2000 which were vehemently opposed by some parents, teachers and myself.

Are these policies being proposed by the council's education bureaucrats or by elected councillors on the education committee?

It is significant that these policies are being pushed just when there are government proposals to devolve more powers to head teachers of the individual primary school.

Won't the influence of educational bureaucrats be severely curtailed when primary head teachers take over most of their functions?

It is highly unlikely many primary heads will cut back on the arts, music and drama when they take over from the bureaucrats.

Ellis Thorpe, Albany, Old Chapel Walk, Inverurie