A Survey of Creative Arts Education in Primary Schools in Plateau State

Creative arts education at the primary school level establishes the foundational aesthetic literacy, expressive capacity, and cultural awareness that children carry throughout their educational and professional lives, and its current state in Plateau State primary schools requires descriptive investigation. This study surveyed creative arts education provision in primary schools across Jos North and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas, Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was employed, with structured questionnaires administered to 20 creative arts teachers and 10 school heads from 18 public and private primary schools. Classroom observation checklists documented physical resources, instructional content, and student engagement. Results showed that dedicated creative arts lessons occurred in 77.8 percent of schools, but were compressed to 30-45 minutes weekly in 88.9 percent of these schools. Instructional focus was heavily skewed toward craft activities (paper cutting, clay work) at the expense of visual art, music, and drama. Only 27.8 percent of schools had a dedicated art room, and only 44.4 percent maintained basic drawing materials in adequate supply. Music instruments were absent from 83.3 percent of schools. Teacher qualification in creative arts was confirmed in only 45 percent. The study concludes that creative arts education in Plateau State primary schools is inadequately resourced and narrowly conceived. Recommendations include teacher professional development, standardised materials supply through the Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board, and curriculum revision expanding the representation of all creative arts disciplines in primary education.

Keywords: creative arts education, primary school, Plateau State, arts curriculum, North Central Nigeria