Art education in schools faces unprecedented challenges as budget cuts, declining enrollment, and technological disruption reshape what was once considered an essential part of well-rounded education. Two art teachers - 64-year-old Sue Cabourn, who began her career in the late 1990s, and 29-year-old Jasmine Pert, now in her fourth year of teaching - offer contrasting perspectives on a profession that has witnessed dramatic changes in recent decades.
When Cabourn first entered the classroom, British artists like Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, and Gillian Wearing were dominating the cultural landscape. Notably, all three were products of state-funded education - a pathway that may be increasingly difficult for future artists to navigate. The statistics paint a sobering picture: England has seen a 27% drop in art teachers working in state secondary schools between 2011 and 2024, while 48% fewer students have enrolled in arts subjects at the GCSE level since 2010.
The broader cultural sector has also suffered significant losses. According to the Campaign for the Arts, local council spending on culture has been slashed by more than 50% per person in England since 2010. Educational reforms have further prioritized STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering, and mathematics - over arts and humanities, leading critics to argue that creativity has been systematically stifled in schools.
Despite these daunting challenges, Pert remains committed to her calling. "I wanted to get into the profession since I was a child; it was my favorite subject at school," she explains from her position at a secondary school on Scotland's east coast. "My mom always jokes that when I was about 14, I said: 'I'm going to be an art teacher because you get to sit and drink coffee and listen to the radio all day.' If only!"
Cabourn's entry into teaching was more circumstantial. "It sounds awful, but I became an art teacher purely because my husband had a back injury and I had three children," she admits. "I thought: what job could I study for that would fit around everything?" Her first role in the late 1990s involved working with adults who had learning difficulties, followed by teaching students who had been excluded from mainstream schools. "As you could imagine, they were quite disengaged. It was a baptism of fire."
Reflecting on what she considers the golden era of art education, Cabourn points to 2006 and 2007 as peak years. "There just seemed to be much more money in education," she recalls. "My school hired a technician to help out and we could afford good quality supplies. We were even doing pottery and ceramics." Field trips were abundant and transformative - visits to London's major galleries, a trip to Paris to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, and excursions to Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where students could interact directly with artworks.
"On the train down to London, some of the students were standing in the compartments between carriages and looking out of the window all excited because they'd never been on a train before," Cabourn remembers. "It was such a rich experience for them. At Yorkshire Sculpture Park, usually when you go to a museum you can't touch anything, but there they could run free and even climb up the sculptures. They loved it."
The contrast with today's reality is stark. "Right now, I feel a bit frustrated," Cabourn says. "The funding has changed. At some of the recent schools I've worked at, we didn't really do 3D work and having a technician was rare." She emphasizes the importance of tactile learning: "A lot of students say 'I can't draw,' but if you give a child a piece of clay they can create wonderful things."
Pert acknowledges similar constraints but maintains a positive outlook. "In my current school, I have my own classroom, art cupboard and even a big clay facility, which is great. But we're pushing for more trips, though we have to be aware that going on lots of trips is not affordable for everyone." She also notes the increased administrative burden that comes with the job, much of which previous generations of teachers didn't face.
The administrative creep has been particularly challenging for Cabourn. "There wasn't as much assessment as there is now; it feels like assessment for assessment's sake," she explains. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she reached a breaking point: "I remember one Saturday morning, I sat for eight hours doing paperwork and thought, 'This isn't what I signed up for.' It's not teaching anymore; it felt like admin. It stopped the joy of it for me."
Both teachers have observed significant changes in student behavior and capabilities. "When I started teaching, everything was much simpler. The students weren't on their phones like they are now," Cabourn notes. "Some students also lack fairly simple skills. The other day, I was showing a year 8 student how to use a compass. That's something that they should have learned in primary school."
The impact of remote learning during the pandemic has been particularly pronounced. "I've seen more and more children coming to school who aren't at the level they should be for their age," Pert observes. "I have had students I'm having to show how to hold a pencil, use a ruler or scissors. It's becoming more rare, it feels, to come across students who have analog hobbies."
Technology presents both opportunities and threats to art education. While Pert embraces digital art and finds value in platforms like Pinterest and YouTube for inspiration and instruction, both teachers express concern about artificial intelligence. "The introduction of AI is scary territory," Pert says. "AI can create an entire children's book within seconds that looks legitimate but there's not any handcrafted quality. It almost feels throwaway to me."
Cabourn, who admits she doesn't fully understand AI technology, worries about its implications for academic integrity. "If I don't even know what's real, how are you going to know in the future, when a student gives you a piece of work, that they haven't been helped in some way?" she asks. "I'm glad I'm coming to the end of my career now."
Despite the challenges, both teachers find deep satisfaction in their students' successes. Cabourn keeps "a shoe-box full of thank you cards" from former students and takes pride in those who have pursued creative careers, including a award-winning filmmaker and someone working at a high-end agency. "When you hear about those successes, it means everything," she says.
The importance of art education extends beyond career preparation, particularly for students with additional needs. Cabourn's experience in special education highlighted art's therapeutic value: "I would say art was one of the most important things for them because it gave them a creative outlet. If they were having a difficult day, their mood could be lifted by a lovely new pack of felt-tip pens or getting the paints out."
Pert emphasizes the democratizing potential of art education, noting that "so many influential artists come from working class roots, Grayson Perry and Tracey Emin to name a few. This is why it is really crucial to develop, fund and protect a student's curiosity in the subject."
As for advice to younger teachers entering the profession, Cabourn offers words of encouragement: "Our subject is just as important as any other. As art teachers, we have more skills and understanding about the wider world than people realize. We see, feel and understand things that others don't see or value. Don't second-guess yourself or feel you're not worthy because of how some people see the subject."
Looking ahead, both teachers remain committed to their mission despite the obstacles. Pert acknowledges that the reality of teaching is "definitely more full on than I had anticipated," but maintains that "when I'm actually teaching and able to be around the students, it's my favorite thing." For Cabourn, after 27 years in the profession, the message is clear: art education remains vital, even as the system that supports it continues to face unprecedented pressures.
