Towards ‘grown-up ness in the world’ through the Arts as critical, quality pedagogy

Many western education systems are currently in crisis, providing an increasingly technical approach to classroom learning and assessment. This chapter focuses on how engagement in two artforms, literature and drama, can enable teachers, children and young people to learn in transformative ways. While acknowledging that 'grown-up-ness' is a slightly misleading term, Biesta argues that this concept is at the very heart of envisaging a mature way of being-in-the-world. The Arts remain an under-used component of early childhood and primary curricula despite unequivocal evidence that quality arts experiences and processes are important for human social and emotional wellbeing. The concept of 'grown-up-ness' aligns with empathy and compassion for others but such attributes are not easily measured by testing regimes. Despite the growing body of research documenting the potential of the Arts to transform the learning process, ongoing cuts in pre-service and in-service arts education in Australia has resulted in many teachers expressing a lack of confidence in the Arts.