THOUGHTS of THE TIMES

Let the show begin!

A successful performance, a cheering audience, a curtain call — the perfect ending for my first year in high school. This great memory and formative experience I had with theater supports research on its positive benefits for students. According to a study published by the OECD, theater education enhanced not only social skills such as empathy and emotion regulation but also “improvement in reading and understanding.”

However, the number of Korean students who experience composite arts is too low regarding its benefits. As a 2014 survey done by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed, only 2.4 percent of teenagers directly participated in making and presenting theater. Regarding the status quo, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s (SMOE) “Cooperative Composite Arts for Middle School Program,” is an appropriate measure. The policy aims to give students a chance to produce and present composite art such as theater, musical, or film for more than one semester (at least 17 hours) during middle school.

However, the program may not be well received. In a survey of students in my high school who had at least one experience with such class performances in middle school, only 37.1 percent replied that more than 70 percent of classmates actively cooperated in the program. Low participation may endanger the educative effect of this program since emotional and creative learning is achieved with student’s cooperation.

So what discouraged the students? My guess is that it’s the way schools run such programs. Giving students autonomy and preventing the program from being extra stress may have positive effects. So here are some practical suggestions:

Firstly, the program should not be additional stress for students. Thus, it has to be strictly separated from grading. All preparation should be finished during school time as students will have difficulty arranging a meeting afterwards because of their separate schedules. Opening school after classes can be considered to provide students a safe and free place to practice.

Secondly, students should have the autonomy in designing the program. Thus, guidance during the program should be provided by professional art educators who can give guidance without eliminating students’ creativity. Early guidance will not only help stimulate productive student discussion but also assure parents that their children are actually learning something, thereby inducing their support.

Lastly, a decent place for throwing the show should be guaranteed. Since schools have limited budgets, the SMOE may consider acting as a representative for schools to negotiate with local theaters so that schools can take turns in using them.

As the new era of AI approaches, human virtues such as empathy, patience and creativity are more important. Given this, the SMOE’s program seems prudent. Nevertheless, careful attention to essential details will make all the difference if this is to serve as a new paradigm of future education.