Schools of Tharparkar Desert Sindh Pakistan

An Investigation into;
What Role Drawing Play in the Cognitive Development of Pakistani Primary School Children

Drawing enhances cognitive skills because it helps to increase learning difficulties, social and perceptional skills, memory development and also helps children to gain self-awareness (Hina 2010).  Drawing contributes to the personal and creative development of mainstream for kids and promotes social, vocational habits with esthetic and academic skills such as; perceptual-motor skills and creative concepts and provides a unique experience with concrete materials besides reinforcing the school's general goals (Hina 2010).

Drawing can produce perception, memory and imagination and also the use of tools and different ways with the help of activities through artworks for creative growth, we have known this to be an effective tool to be incorporated with cognitive skill development. Drawing can grow an interest in young children; there seem to be a few meaningful frameworks for supporting and examining drawing in primary childhood education. According to Acer 2014, "Drawing has a strong effect on children's sense; since the beginning of mankind, it has been used to communicate their ideas with others, confirms identity confronts fears and expresses the lifestyles because of art has been so influential in people's lives throughout human, it should also be one of the most fundamental means of self-expression history."

The British rulers introduced education in the subcontinent before the British a takeover, in the 19th century.  After the partition of Pakistan, a new education system is established after 1947, which was divided into primary, secondary, and higher secondary college level, and then University level, it's based on the tradition of art teaching in Pakistan on personal coaching (Tahir 2018). Pakistan comes into being in 1947 and there were a number of problems to be resolved at that time, art education didn't exist in this new state and  there was little awareness about new trends in primary school education (Hina 2010).

“The development of the creative power in all children could blossom, with neutral law's (Razzak 2011).” As an art teacher and researcher, meaningful learning can be encouraged in children's creativity and expressions, and it can create balance with the insightful learning process, by a skilful teacher. In the late 70s, during my primary schooling, teachers used to teach us more than seven subjects like science, mathematics, and languages, including drawing once in a week, and I receive all this from class 6^Th To 9^Th, primary to secondary level. The methods followed by the approved curriculum from Sindh textbook board and bureau of curriculum Sindh, Pakistan, where always a teacher, dictate the tentative plan of the whole the year of drawing subject. It was a mandatory part of the education, and there was a specific teacher called a drawing master. That drawing class was most fundamental to teach us a good understanding of the tools of drawing and sub, subjects of the picture, like geometry, calligraphy, still-life drawing, rendering, and introduction to colours, graphite, pencils, and different art and drawing tools.

As Pakistan is amongst the developed countries and description of the stage of development of children drawing subject curriculum, it needs to revise. It is argued that recent studies of this subject rejected by education policymaker due to misconception, the significance of drawing subject for cognitive development, and the creative growth of Pakistani school kids. The thinking direction of policymaker based on a professional level is very critical that drawing is rarely used as a tool of learning in Pakistan. Because of all the science, engineering, technology, and math subjects are considered as a the professional field has scope and future. Today's parents and educational authorities of Pakistan cannot think that drawing is a vital source of expression for the cognitive development of Pakistani primary school children. Currently, this is considered a hobby, not a subject.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This research aims is focused on drawing practice on primary school level, to enhance the cognitive development of Pakistani children through different drawings and to analyze the significance of drawing for Pakistani school children and the situation past and present regarding the inclusion of drawing as a subject in the primary school curriculum on Pakistan's national education systems. The following objectives will be found through this study;

·         To analyze the art curriculum and educational policies of Pakistani primary education critically.

·         To investigate how drawing education exchange overtime in Pakistan and what are the reasons behind the changes.

·         What type of art practices implemented for cognitive development in primary education and conduct an art workshop for the study, how drawing is helpful in creative development for primary school children.

·         To evaluate why drawing is so important and why kids should be taught the skill in primary school level and to find the existing teaching and learning methods in drawing as a creative practice in Pakistan.

·          To study the broader context of drawing education in the cognitive development through available literature.

  

RESEARCH QUESTION

1. Why is teaching children to draw not a more important part of the curriculum for primary school children in Pakistan?

References

• Acer, Dale. 2014. “The Arts in Turkish Preschool Education.” Arts Education Policy Review 116 (1): 43-50. doi:10.1080/10632913.2015.970102.
• Hina, Zubair. 2010. "Use Of Art/Art Work and Cognitive Skill for the Rehabilitation of Special Children of 4-9 Years of Age.” Eric.Ed.Gov. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1137145.
• Razzak, Afshan A. 2011. Children and Art. Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller.
• Tahir, Rafya. 2018. "ART EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN: COLONIAL LEGACY AND CHALLENGES OF 21St CENTURY". doi:10.17501/icoah.2017.4109.