TEACHERS are urging the government not to lose focus on arts subjects in the curriculum.

It comes as a consultation on reforms to the National Curriculum, which propose set targets for English, maths and science, was due to come to an end today.

More than 2,000 teachers across the country have signed a petition condemning plans by Education Secretary Michael Gove, which they said had an obsession with “lists of facts”.

Camille Jones, East Lancashire franchisee for performing arts group Little Voices, said she feared it would be left up to extra-curricular clubs like hers to teach arts if the proposals went ahead.

The 27-year-old mother-of-one, who is planning to start a class either at Nelson and Colne College or Pendle Vale College in the coming weeks, said: “After school clubs will have to take over.

“I am scared that the government is trying to cut back on the arts curriculum, but it is very, very important for children to have this in their curriculum and not lose out.

“We work on confidence building which many children may struggle with.

“It is about children learning new skills and it is really important they do not lose that.”

Elissa Best, head of visual and performing arts at St Mary’s College in Blackburn, said it was vital the government continued to support the arts in schools.

She said: “The performing arts are part of everyday life, whether it is on the TV, in the newspaper and magazines or social networks.

“Young people develop their lives around the medium of performing arts and we owe it to them to give them the opportunity to access them during their years in education.”

The Association of School and College Leaders is calling for the curriculum consultation period to be extended to allow teachers to properly digest the implications. Concerns have also been raised by Simon Jones, Blackburn with Darwen representative for the National Union of Teachers, who said a priority motion had been raised at the union’s conference about the curriculum.

He said: “We are definitely concerned about arts subjects and that Michael Gove does not value them.

“It shows he is much more interested in Ancient Greek than some of the more modern subjects.”