At 14:00 on March 30, 2014, “The First International Forum of Principals of Secondary Arts Education” was held on the 5th floor audiovisual hall in building 5 of CAFA, as the host, the High School Affiliated to the CAFA invited the leaders and representatives from the well-known colleges and schools which engage in secondary arts education at home and abroad to attend the exchange, to discuss the orientation and focus of secondary art education. On behalf of the host, Su Xinping, Dean of the School of Plastic Arts, CAFA addressed them and the discussion officially commenced on the theme arranged.

The High School Affiliated to CAFA, Ma Gang: On the one hand, the forum is faced with running a secondary school of fine art at present and in the future, thinking about how to teach basic art education, and what basic art education is. On the other hand, we should think about how we work together, sharing advantages and resources with each other.

The High School Affiliated to China Academy of Art, Chen Ning: At the international forum of principals of secondary art schools, I am touched that the international class of the High School Affiliated to CAFA has been run for 8 years, although I have been thinking that we need to hold such a class, it hasn’t been organized until now. So today I want to listen to others’ opinions, and go back to report on it to Principal Xu.

The High School Affiliated to Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Ding Songjian: The school began to hold an international class last year, recruiting more than 30 students, which was better than expected. Parents enthusiastically inquired about the international class this year. It is very promising. We are in the process of grouping the classes. Only the High School Affiliated to CAFA is still a four-year school in all secondary schools, still sticking to the self teaching direction and system, while the High School Affiliated to Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts basically breaks up all the original characteristics, including the curriculum provision, in order to offer exams. It is worth thinking about the excellent students that do not reflect any advantage to themselves after their study in the school for years. So we want to listen to your advice in terms of teaching.

Su Xinping: I want to ask Principal Chen Ning about the proportion of students of the High School Affiliated to the China Academy of Art, that are admitted to university and college?

Chen Ning: One hundred percent of our students are admitted to university, and about 80 percent enter excellent colleges, such as the China Academy of Art, it is very important to communicate with the Academy. The advantage is that the high school participates in the admission policy and the new examination system. Now we are looking forward to a reform of the examination system of college admission. In the first half of this year the country will promote a pattern of 2 + 1 + N, and we will accordingly adjust the teaching to the cultural courses.

Zhejiang Province carried out the premised course before learning a discipline last year, and we use this policy to set some courses, such as Chinese painting, oil painting, print, sculpture. The advanced courses benefit us a lot, offering more time from teachers of cultural courses to teach about professions, and students try to create using various art forms so as to be clear about their future direction.

Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, Wang Baoxiang: In terms of the basic teaching of secondary arts education, we have three confusing situations: Firstly, there is a defect of the general plan of the country in secondary arts education and the cultivation of art talents. Almost every university has a department of art, but some schools neither have any related teacher nor teaching experience. Secondly, parents and students of today have a partial opinion of art, only a few really love art, while most of them choose art because their cultural courses are bad, it is just a shortcut, actually cultural deposits of art is very important. Thirdly, the present admission examination rules and exam-oriented educational system are deficient, so that the college admission examination of art is basically rote, leading students to be particularly rigid, and unimaginatively cultivated.

Japan Joshibi High School of Art and Design, Masaaki Ogawa: Joshibi School of Art and Design is now named Joshibi University of Art and Design. There are three principles at Joshibi University of Art and Design: firstly, it teaches fine art for women. Secondly it offers thorough arts education to increase women’s techniques, improving their independent economic capabilities, to increase women's social status. Thirdly, it cultivates art teachers for woman’s normal schools and the school. Joshibi High School of Art and Design has also always adhered to the idea of practice teaching.

The students of the junior school, high school, and the university are jointly taught, and the advantage of integration of a comprehensive university is fully accepted. 70 percent of the students are admitted to Joshibi University of Art and Design, 20 percent are admitted to other universities, 10 percent are admitted to general universities, among those admitted to Joshibi University of Art and Design it is by way of recommendation, while choosing other universities depends on the admission policies of different schools.

High School Affiliated to CAFA, Ma Gang: 5 percentof students are admitted to the CAFA through recommendation, which also offers a strict examination for entry to the academy. Other students together participate in the national admission examination.

The High School Affiliated to Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts, Lei Xiaohui: I am thinking about how to encourage excellent students in the affiliated school to retain their advantage in the universities, to be real artists in the future.

The High School Affiliated to Shanghai University, Mao Donghua: I believe that it is a necessity to found and develop the affiliated schools including the arts. In terms of education, I care for the heritage of tradition and innovation, cultivating students to love learning.

The High School Affiliated to Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, Gu Hongchao: We have appropriately adjusted under the condition of the system of reform of education, we initially divide students into different parts to teach. The students with an excellent foundationand good basic qualities are led to excellent colleges and universities, and some students’ target is to the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, we invite the teachers of the Dalian branch to give lectures, as well as special training before the examination. In addition, some students are from wealthy families, but have poor scores, which is the third batch of students, we will help them go to some schools.

After the delegates from the school of fine arts from home and abroad addressed the conference, Li Yan from the culture and education group of the British Council, Wang Jia, representative of the Coventry University of UK, Li Rui, Representative of Sheffield Hallam University briefly introduced the situation of the colleges according to the current situation of study in Britain to the principals, at last Su Xinping thanked the guests again, and the forum finished.

Journalist: Zhang Gaoshan, translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO, Photo: High School Affiliated with CAFA