No school for art students?

I read in news today that about 40,000 well qualified school leavers are likely to be turned away from UK universities this year.  There appears to be a shortage of university places this year due to a surge in applications and a cap on places.  I’m not yet sure how these figures are divided up in terms of subjects but I would put money on it that a number of these school leavers are trying to secure a place at art school.

This makes sense of a conversation I was having last week with a friend of mine whose daughter was struggling to find a place at further education level art school.  She had applied to a number of institutions in her region only to be told after her interview that the courses were full.

Shril’s art school
Now I have spent five years myself at art school and also worked commercially for a number of years.  So I feel qualified to make an opinion on her work.   Her portfolio wasn’t the best technically executed work I had ever seen but she definitely has that creative spark, her work is different and certainly not run of the mill.  Her failure to secure a placement this year was never made clear to her but I wager that the weight of that decision went on her portfolio collection.

What is the point of art schools?
This brings me to my point which you may find contentious. I appreciate that colleges and universities are there to select the best and make them better but underneath it all they are schools.  Schools take people who don’t know much and teach them things so they know more.  This is why children have to go to school.

The same principles apply at art school but the entry to such schools appears to be based on how good your work is already. Doesn’t this make the work of the teachers much easier? If you are really good then you’re in, if you’re not then look elsewhere.  We don’t care what potential you show.

I have worked with some talented students in the past and some who became very talented but who started out mediocre.   It is my opinion that the selection trend into art school is far too heavily weighted on existing high level talent and not enough time is given to investigate potential and actually teach people the skills.  I often hear people say, I wanted to go to art school but I was never good enough.  To me this is like saying we won’t allow little Jimmy into school yet until he learns to read.

Am I the only one that finds something odd about this?