The arts have recently gained popularity locally ever since secondary school teachers were informed that drama, music and art may be merged under the umbrella term Expressive Arts as from the next scholastic year. But how much depth can be reached in just three months per subject?

Unfortunately, the arts are not given the respect they deserve in our education system. They are commonly viewed as a waste of time in schools and ultimately, they are often viewed as a hobby to partake in free time with no opportunity to further one’s studies or build a career. This is completely incorrect.

Various local institutions, including the University, offer degrees such as BAs in Music or Theatre Studies, as well as Master’s degrees in History of Art and an MSc in Digital Games, to name a few. In addition, the Mcast Insitute of Art and Design also offers courses that can lead to highly sought for artistic skills such as graphic design and video editing.

Nevertheless, it is useless having degrees at tertiary level if students are being pushed into more academic paths with the idea that only these have a future. Furthermore, students may not be aware of career opportunities in the arts sector because they have not been exposed to them properly. In fact, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said the aim of Expressive Arts is to expose all students to the arts so that they may make a more informed decision when choosing their options.

But what should be tackled is how the arts are taught and how they are combined with other subjects. For instance, drama could be an ideal medium to help students to express themselves better in Maltese or English and to improve their language skills .

Other forms of art, often put aside until tertiary level, such as comic drawing and graphic design, should also be given more exposure at an earlier stage.

By presenting these subjects in a more interesting way, it is likely that students will show more interest in them. By grasping the proper concept, students would be able to make more informed decisions on the arts.

So what should really be discussed are not the arts themselves, but how they should be taught to instil the desired interest in those who are truly into the arts.

Melissa MacElhatton is a 2nd year BA (Hons) Social Work student and a writer for Insite Malta.