China to Introduce Ceramic Arts into School CurriculaThe art of making ceramic arts, which has thousands of years of history in China, will soon become a required curriculum in primary and middle schools.The Chinese Ministry of Education has assigned the Hunan Art Publishing House (HAPH) to compile the teaching materials, and the teaching plan on the subject is expected to be published at the beginning of next year. Students at Yanshan Primary school, a school selected to conduct the teaching on trial basis, in this capital of Hunan province, have had the opportunity to appreciate the arts at their school this semester. Ju Di, a sixth grade pupil at the school, said the ceramic art class is one of her favorite subjects. It inspires her imagination and arouse her interest in the school studies, she said. Part of the ceramic pieces made by pupils are also displayed in a special classroom. They are very smartly molded, and reflect children's imagination. In an appraisal of the feasibility report made by HAPH, the Department of Physical Training, Hygiene and Arts of the Ministry of Education said that the teaching material complies with the country's requirements of educational reform. In China's big cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Changsha, traditional ceramic making arts has witnessed a renaissance in chic bars. "Chinese are always proud of their own country as the first inventor of chinaware," said Professor Yang Yongshan, vice-director of China's Central Institute of Arts and Crafts. "However, the making, study and teaching of ceramic are nowadays confined in some institutes of higher learning and research organizations rather than among common folks, and such a situation should be changed," said Yang. Ceramic making can help cultivate and foster people's appreciation of beauty and creativity, Yang noted. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |