The research team found that
reading and watching movies of these
high quality productions could not
account for the increase in knowledge
and other positive effects experienced
by students who attended live
performances of the plays.
“There’s something unique about
seeing a play performed live. Watching
a television and reading the script are
good, but attending a play is better,”
said Hitt.
People skills
In the most recent Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) Programme
for International Student Assessment,
Hong Kong ranked third out of 65
countries when it came to academic
performance in mathematics, reading
and science.
The SAR’s robust learning culture
has no doubt contributed significantly
to this ranking. There are parents
who have high expectations of their
children and view the achievement
of good grades as markers of
success. They tend to focus less on
achievements in other areas that are
not so important for entry to college
or university. Some parents focus on
obedience and expensive tutoring,
and view children’s spare time as
yet another opportunity to improve
academic performance. But are they
missing the point?
Katie Herridge of Saville
Consulting recently told the British
Psychological Society’s Division of
Occupational Psychology Conference
in Glasgow that whilst university
degrees and work experience offer
value in terms of employees’ work
performance, neither prepare
individuals for the softer people skills
necessary in the workplace. The study,
involving 2,500 individuals, showed
that neither a degree nor experience
were related to an employee’s
performance in softer skills, such as
building relationships with others or
giving support.
“As people skills are harder to
develop and may be innate, employers
may be better considering personality
measures when selecting for people-
oriented roles, rather than relying
on an individual’s education or
experience,” commented Herridge.
Philosophy of arts
As schools narrow their focus
on improving performance on
standardised tests for mathematics
and reading, they have greater
difficulty justifying taking students
out of the classroom for experiences
not directly focused on improving test
scores, according to the University of
Arkansas study. As a result, schools
take students on fewer field trips or
offer them as a reward for academic
achievement. They are also less likely
to offer programmes in fine arts.
However, Hong Kong schools are
recognising the tangible benefits of
exposing students to a more rounded
curriculum; notable among them is
the Hong Kong International School
(HKIS). The extensive fine arts
programme is a key component of
the curriculum and fosters a deeper
understanding of self, empathy for
others, spiritual awareness and global
understanding.
“One of my former students who
played Titania in Shakespeare’s
A
Midsummer Night’s Dream
made me
cry,” says Heatherly Stephens, theatre
arts instructor at HKIS. “At the end
of the production she said she couldn’t
believe how beautiful Shakespeare’s
words were and that acting in the play
gave her a better understanding of it
all.”
Consistent with this reaction, the
research team found the intensity
and immediacy of live performances
appear to have conveyed the ability
Sergey Petrov / Shutterstock.com
March 2015
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