Assessment of the Challenges of Implementing the Creative Arts Curriculum in Primary Schools in Enugu State

Creative arts education is integral to the holistic development of primary school pupils, yet its implementation faces persistent challenges related to teacher capacity, resource provision, and curricular marginalisation across Nigerian public primary schools. This study assessed the challenges confronting primary school teachers in implementing the Creative Arts curriculum in Enugu North and Enugu East Local Government Areas, Enugu State, South East Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 150 primary school teachers and 20 school principals. An observation checklist was applied during 30 classroom visits to assess actual implementation fidelity. Results revealed that 71.3 percent of teachers reported inadequate professional training in arts education methods. Only 22.7 percent of surveyed schools had dedicated creative arts materials or equipment. Time allocation for creative arts was reduced or eliminated in 68.0 percent of schools in favour of numeracy and literacy subjects. Large class sizes (average 54 pupils per class) were cited by 80.7 percent of teachers as a major impediment to practical activities. The principal questionnaire confirmed that most schools lacked a standing budget line for arts materials. The study concludes that the Creative Arts curriculum in Enugu primary schools is substantially under-implemented due to structural resource and training deficits. Recommendations include dedicated arts education funding, teacher professional development in arts pedagogy, and revised timetabling policies that protect the full mandated creative arts allocation.

Keywords: creative arts curriculum, primary schools, curriculum implementation, Enugu State, arts education