1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
The National Policy on Education (NPE, 2007) presents the visual arts as a core subjects at the junior secondary school level, but made it optional to student at the senior secondary school level. The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria realizes the importance of art and culture in the development of science and technology and gives visual art education its legitimate right in the nation‘s educational system. The visual arts curriculum is an integration of visual arts, drama and music and is primarily concerned with the role of arts and culture in education at present and future. At the junior secondary school level it is called Cultural and Creative Arts. It is made up of drawing, painting, pattern and design, 3-dimentional works, crafts and art appreciation.
Arts subjects constitute a major part of the subjects being offered in most post-primary institutions in Nigeria today. These subjects are so important that the Federal Government National Policy on Education states in specific terms that the Secondary education shall provide trained manpower in the arts, sciences and technology. The National Policy on Education further states that art is core at junior secondary school and elective at senior secondary schools. The importance attached to art by the Federal Government could be due to the general belief that art is capable of improving and changing skills, attitudes and cognition by increasing student‘s store of knowledge‘s about themselves, their environment and their world.
…
