F*ck You Cambridge
I was reading recently that ‘certain’ universities were considering topics like drama, theatre, dance, performing arts, etc as ‘soft subjects’ and that they were not ideal A-Levels/Post-16 qualifications if you wanted to go to one of their prestigious ‘Russell Group’ universities. So students are being coached at the Post-16 stage to avoid these subjects. But what they are NOT taking into account is the way that these so-called soft subjects promote a kind of personal growth that is rarely found within Maths and Science graduates. So what are these colleges telling us? That they prefer clever kids that have no social skills? I hope not. Mainly because I think plenty of Oxbridge/Russell Group students are bright, well-rounded individuals, but these universities taking a dump on our arts subjects.
You’ll notice that music isn’t there. Music, being a relative of Science and Maths in their eyes signifies a related achievement.
Let’s be clear about something. Science, maths and technology are very important and I’m fairly sure we couldn’t develop without them. But without a relationship to the expressive arts, without a way of expressing what it means to be human, all your pompous ‘clever’ subjects mean shit. Let’s see you express what it’s like to lose a child through Maths. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in awe of science, I’m fascinated by it, but not all of us learn in the same way. Plenty of intelligent, sensitive children are put off education because their schools focus heavily on Maths and Science and do not allow their students to grow through the arts. Private schools particularly pride themselves on their arts provision, but take it less seriously than assisting their students in going on to be lawyers, doctors etc. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But by coming out (every few years I might add, this isn’t just a recent thing) and saying that these subjects aren’t ‘ideal’, you’re devaluing them in the eyes of students and their parents.
I would expect in these great seats of learning for the open-mindedness to the arts and expression, but no, you find a narrowness. Of course you need a different type of intelligence for Physics as you do for Theatre Studies, but you know, there is something called emotional intelligence too and that’s got a value of its own. It doesn’t need to be more important than Maths and Science, it doesn’t even need to be equal, because we’re talking about a different kind of intelligence. But I for one prefer to be around the emotionally intelligent. So F**K you Cambridge and anyone else that tries to devalue the arts in education.