A sad day for Textiles in Schools.....

[louisejhampshire]

LUDICROUS!! I just don't understand what the government are trying to achieve these days. They are supposed to be making the curriculum more pupil personable and then they go and do things like this!!

In the future people will go out and buy a brand new shirt just because a button has dropped off!

yup i agree! can see that happening - or new trousers cause the hem has come down!

[jenn]

schools

I thought they already did!!

Jenn

[hennie]

That is really sad. I started an after school club, at my primary school,called Nimble Needles, in the 8 months its been running, over 90 children have signed up to it. Each club runs for roughly half a term.
Year 1 to Year 6 boys and girls have all signed up, many coming term after term.

[dee_liteful]

hi claire

oh my god, thats awful! As i am trying to get into teaching, i find that quite scary as my main background is textiles!!!How are people meant to get into fashion? I studied textiles gcse, had a wonderful teacher, and me and my best friend at the time loved that lesson. It also inspired me to go onto college to study fashion and textiles then uni. Although i did find it odd that halfway through my diploma they dropped the 'textiles' part of the title and changed it to 'clothing.' But how are you meant to learn about the basics of sewing if they cant teach textiles? What a load of crap!!As I am not great at science and maths there are plenty of kids that are much more creative, so surely the oppurtunities are narrowed to art and drama?! This may mean that I will have to learn about teaching an art subject I guess!

I hope you will be ok in your future
and i'm sorry to hear about your colleague

[creativelady]

What Chance Do I Young People Have Today !!! None

Hi Clare
Sorry to hear about your school, closing its textiles. Its so sad that I young people are not having the chance to learning sewing & crafts etc, all these talents they should require at school help them in later life. All this country thinks about is academic subjects.
When I was at school, I loved my needlework lessons, which started at primary and secondary school we would make very basic things, but it planted the seed, and got me interested in sewing, which I love. My Mother wasn't a keen sewer, so school gave me the opportunity to this subject. I often won school prizes for needlework, As I got older all the skills I learnt have enabled me to save money in my home, ie making my own clothes for my self and the children also, curtains, cushion covers etc.

[Clarey11]

Thats really sad and totally crazy!

I did textiles and art at school- not because i couldnt do anything else but because I really enjoyed it and found I was good at it. I then went to do applied arts and craft as a degree at uni.

At uni i learnt that Textiles and all crafts are undergoing a massive shift-its becoming far more popular and accepted within supposedly 'higher art circles'. You should see how many art and craft contemporary galleries there are in london. I hate the way crafts is looked down upon as some lower form of art- it can be conceptual and people find it much easier to relate to and understand than some of crazy fine art crap that you find in the tate modern or saatchi gallery.

I think this is a massive mistake, just hope it doesn't become more widespread.

[ickle pickle]

So sad to hear your news. Our local college stopped all of the sewing and craft courses Sept last and made all of the tutors redundant. I was gutted I really enjoyed going there. Not enough money in it apparently. The Government was pushing more funding towards the academic subjects and so in the end it wasn't the colleges worthwhile running them

[meridian]

that is very sad... when I went to school in California they didn't really push textiles, there was home ec that I didn't take because it was more focused on cooking and flour babies... I took art and pottery as I could cook and clean the house all ready.. to this day the most I can sew is a button back on a shirt... I really wish I knew how to sew. I think sewing and textile art/crafts are fab.

[LadyLora]

i was only at school a few years ago- even then we just had one term in year 7 of a textiles class!! and even then we had to spend so long on researching ideas, cutting pictures out of magazines and sticking them down and designing a hand puppet that we only had 2 lessons of actual sewing!! suffice to say, i never learnt any real sewing skills. Its only now that im trying to teach myself how to follow patterns and use a sewing machine that i lament the lack of craft skills we were taught. Its so sad- all these skills are being lost.

[For Sale]

Absolutely Crazy, children/Teenagers need some enjoyment to express in between the humdrum of written work and brain strain, so yet another reason why the children who enjoyed school will now stop wanting to go.

They should never of taken away the apprentice courses. I envied the boys school when i was younger, they had car engines, plumbing, woodwork, all before leaving school. Some of these guys had the knowledge of their trade and what they wanted to do already mapped out, as well as exactly what they excelled in without having to job hop for a few years in hope your skills are found.

Girls had cookery and sewing and childcare...OK for some but i would of liked the other.

The only result from this is less skills, less attendance, and more unemployment ( ok its not only through loss of textiles but its from that same avenue of destroying the ability of a child to believe in them selves in ways they enjoy) very sad state of affairs.

I hope you manage to enjoy your alternative subject

[Jo Lovejoy]

I know what you mean, its not right! All schools seem to be interested in computers etc. When I was at school, we did Needlework, cookery, woodwork and metalwork. They don't do any of them now at the schools around here. Not everyone wants a job in I.T. Our crafts will be a dying art if children never get taught them.

I briefly taught a 'get crafty with your kids' course at a local college a few years ago, encouraging parents to craft with their children. It was a great experience and the parent and child bond was significantly improved through crafting. It was one of the reasons why I started a free craft project website, to try and encourage crafting and help people to use their artistic ability and create something.

Isn't it the most wonderful feeling when you finish a project, stand back, admire your work, and say "I did that!".

Jo x

[Critchley]

Having just read this thread from start back in April to now for the first time ever I really appreciate my Secondary School - early 1950's - and its Headmaster. Girls had Needlework, Domestic Science and Art every week but we also had a good grounding in all other subjects including Algebra, Languages and the basic 3 R's.
I heartily agree how important it is for the accademic non achievers to have the opportunity to shine in vocational subjects. There is nothing better than personal success to boost ones morale.

[Chris W]

Made with love

My thirteen year old daughter wants to study fashion design and learn to sew, she is very disappointed that the textiles module has been chopped at her school, we had discussion about it before I saw this thread. Many of our ancestors would have worked in the textile industry, mine were silk weavers in Lancashire, it is so sad that this proud tradition is not valued as the wealth of the country was built upon it for many generations. The many responses to this thread prove that the passion for crafts is alive and well, self employed creative people generate wealth for the country and it is about time that this was recognised. I would make a plea to the general public to support craft workers by buying their wares which are made with love rather than bland and boring chain store items.

[Rudi]

I was so excited when i chose my GCSE options a few years ago but was utterly devestated when they didnt run the course because not enough people chose it! So i had to change to food techonology, which i consequently failed! They then didnt run the course for Alevel because you needed GCSE experience to understand A-level textiles. I really wanted to do it but ended up taking really academic courses instead, and dropping out half way through, i kind of feel like it was a complete waist of time, as i know im never going to want to become a lawyer or a psychologist!!!
Luckily i was advised to take a fashion course at college and its the best thing ive ever done!!
But i think they axe subjects like this because there just isnt the demand for them and theyre not filling up, parents can be so pushy nowadys (luckily not mine) i know so many people who have completely resented their parents for choosing there subjects ect and completely gone off the rails. Im probably the only person in a class of about 25 that has ended up still loving crafts and carrying it on in my own time.
Its a shame.
Rudi