In the current context, schools play a fundamental role in developing skills that enable individuals to respond to the social, economic, political, and cultural demands of the local and global context. In this context, it is important to reflect on the place of art education in the school curriculum. In Portugal, art education has been conditioned by different political orientations and is not consensually recognized as an essential domain in the individual’s formation. In recent decades, reforms in basic education have accentuated the emphasis on core subjects, frequently subjected to external evaluation, to the detriment of artistic areas. Faced with a multifaceted crisis—social, economic, environmental, and cultural—it becomes pertinent to question the role of visual education in portuguese schools. This work confronts educational policies with theoretical perspectives, seeking to understand the potential of this area, the objectives attributed to it, and its contribution to the formation of critical and creative citizens. Based on concepts such as Art Education, Visual Culture, and community intervention, a thematic analysis of legislative documents, curricular guidelines, and academic literature is carried out. The results show a theoretical investment in visual education that does not fully translate into effective curricular space. The prevalence of core subjects limits the development of innovative pedagogical practices adapted to contemporary challenges. With this study, we propose to stimulate debate on the place of visual education in the curriculum and to advise on the revision of educational policies, to recognize art education as an essential component of comprehensive education.

Authors:
Ana Duarte, University of Madeira, Portugal
Valdemar Sousa, University of Madeira, Portugal

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Valdemar Sousa is a researcher at Education Research Centre, and an Invited Assistant Professor of Didactics of Expressions, both at University of Madeira, Portugal. His research areas are sustainability and artistic education, curriculum.

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Valdemar-Sousa-3

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