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Ed Milliband, Leader of the Labour Party, gave a speech at Google's Big Tent, 22 May 2013, where he reports on the decline in art and design lessons and why this is a step in the wrong direction. He says:

'In the last three years art, design, technology and creativity have been rendered second class...This is precisely the wrong message to be sending out to schools...we have to put art, design and technology back at the heart of our education system.'

The following excerpt from Milliband's speech explains why we meed more art and design not less:


'Creative people.

Let me start with how we give every individual an opportunity to benefit from the internet and how we avoid being left behind as a country. There are still 2.6 million households in Britain without access to basic broadband. And there are millions of people in Britain who have never used the internet. That digital divide excludes the potential designers, innovators, entrepreneurs of the future.

We’ve got to turn it around. It’s bad for them and it is wrong for our country. But taking advantage of the internet goes far beyond access. It is about putting creativity at the heart of our education system. Google has recognised this by distributing Raspberry Pi computers to schools across the country. But we need to take that insight and use it to transform the way our whole national education system works. Unfortunately, our education system is going in the opposite direction.

Schools are spending 15 percent less time on art, design and technology in England, compared to only three years ago. There are over a third fewer teachers being trained in these subjects.

And it is no wonder. The government’s favoured EBacc simply doesn’t include creative and vocational subjects.

Art, design, technology and creativity have been rendered second class. But this is precisely the wrong message to be sending out to schools.

Just think about Sir Jony Ive. As a kid his Christmas present every year was a day in the classroom with his parents who were design teachers. Sir Jony went on to change the world by designing the iMac and iPad.

We need to make sure the next generation aren’t just good at using Google, Facebook, and YouTube, but are also designing and creating the next phase of the digital world.

That’s why we have to put art, design and technology back at the heart of our education system.'

The full transcript of Ed Milliband's speech can be read here.