Awakenings and wondering

I was the eldest child in the family and I always felt that I was the one that educational disciplines and decisions were tested out on, the younger ones seemed to have a much easier ride.

For example, when it came to choosing Options in year 9 (year 3, as was), I was not given any say in the subjects chosen by my parent to take to exam level. There was no discussion, my options were not sought and that is one of the reasons we want to include T in an many visits and discussions as practically possible around his secondary school, it’s somewhere he’ll be spending a lot of time after all.

I always wanted to do Art to an exam level, this was refused during Options choices and, it’s something that I wasn’t impressed with at the time, but put it to the back of my mind.

Until today. Looking around the fantastic Art department in a potential secondary school for T today, something stirred. There was so much on display: a tree with aluminium leaves; marble-type painted tiles; clay fashioned to look like fabric, paper mâché dresses and so many different methods of drawings and paintings.

I looked at all these, at the tables which were covered in many different shades of paint where students had overshot their work and honestly, wanted to be there, to study, to learn.

And that’s what I want to investigate, to discover if I can take Art as a mature student. To satisfy that inner child who didn’t get the chance to previously.

I don’t know of placements, potential time commitments or anything, but it’s something I’m really looking forward to finding out more.