The Sad State of Art in Nigerian Primary Schools: Focus on the Class Teacher

Abstract

This paper sees the teacher as central in causing the undesirable damage currently facing art in Nigeria today. The teacher is seen as one who can either make or mare the chances of the potential artist. The paper highlights that the teacher becomes the problem to art when he is poorly trained and has no subject content to offer, when he is poorly motivated or when he is poor monitored even when he is well trained. The paper concludes by way of suggestions that if the desired image and lost glory of art enjoyed in the past must be redeemed, deliberate actions must be taken to recruit the idle caliber of teachers who possess the requisite qualification to handle the teaching of art in the primary schools, as this is very crucial in these formative stages of the child. It also recommends that; the teacher who champions the development of individuals deserves every encouragement and motivation to keep him going. Relevant authorities should on their part ensure that the teacher is closely monitored if the best is expected from him. Keywords: Primary School, art teaching, motivation, Fine Arts