Less than 3% of artists named in GCSE art exam questions are from a black or South Asian background, a study has found.
An analysis of GCSE assessment materials published by the four major UK exam boards (AQA, Eduqas, OCR and Edexcel) found that only 8.4% of the artists referenced across the 27 art exam questions were ethnic minorities. It turns out that.
In contrast, a report by the Runnymede Trust think tank and the Freelands Foundation, an arts charity, found that white artists accounted for 91.6% of all those mentioned on exam boards. Of these nominated artists, only 0.74% were South Asian and 1.54% were Black. The smallest group was works by mixed-ethnic artists, which accounted for 0.5% of all mentioned works of art.
“Arts education offers something special to children and young people, but unfortunately current provision is flawed and great opportunities for growth and change are missed, and this affects all students. ” states the report.
The lack of standardized teaching in the curriculum means that inclusion of artists from underrepresented backgrounds remains a challenge, with syllabus largely dictated by teachers and subject leaders. This means that students often only have a “narrow view of the world of art”. the report says.
At key stage 3, the curriculum states that students must “learn about great artists, craftsmen and designers and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms”, but with a clear No definition or name given.
The lack of guidance continues up to key stage 4, or GCSE level, where art and design is no longer a compulsory subject in the national curriculum. At GCSE, the Department for Education (DfE) subject guidance does not yet indicate the names of artists to include in course materials.
Works by ethnic minority artists were more likely to be mentioned in relation to their geographic region, such as African ritual carvings and Persian rugs, at 20.1% and 0.4%, respectively, compared to works by white artists. This “reinforces the problematic perception that the most important artists are white artists,” the report says.
Dr Shabna Begum, Interim Chief Executive of the Runnymede Trust, said: “With expression comes inspiration, so we want to help students see and appreciate the wider diversity of art classes and secondary education. It is essential.”
The Runnymede Trust and Freelands Foundation are calling on exam boards to commit to a minimum target of 25% ethnic minority artists in 2025 GCSE art exam questions. Mr Pearson and Mr Educus agreed.
An OCR spokesperson said: “We are committed to making our assessments inclusive and accessible and will use the results for research focused on minority representation in the curriculum.” said.
The report also recommended that exam boards and policy makers establish standards for inclusivity and diversity in GCSE assessment materials and improve access to teacher resources to support a diverse curriculum.
