Which would you choose IGCSE art or DT?

[happygardening]

DS in year 9 and has to choose from art or DT. We were very surprised when he said he was thinking of choosing DT. He is good at both, art perhaps a nose ahead and is highly likely to get A* for either. He has always been very interested in art particularly surrealism and loves the Satchi Gallery Tate Modern etc he attends art exhibitions etc whenever ever he can. He has also done modelling and carpentry at school since he was 7 and is obviously very good with his hands. He is very bright and in a very selective school and is currently talking about law at university no interest at all in engineering or similar subjects.
Our view is that art stays with you for life can be done anywhere and is something you can do in your spare time and can be a great diversion form the stresses of the world. Whereas DT requires more specialised equipment etc. I should just say DH occupation is head of design and production so we know what we're talking about. My DS has heard from others that art IGCSE is a lot more work than DT and as he is currently working very hard he can't see how he can fit anymore in. But the art department is open at the weekend and he could go there on Sunday.
Do any MN have any experience of either and how much work is actually involved?
We feel so strongly about this we have told him that we would be "very disappointed" if he drops art this is completely out of character for us as we usually let him choose what he wants to do after a discussion!

[snowball3]

For Christ's sake, leave the poor boy alone! Whether he choses art or DT will have no impact at all on his future career prospects or quality of life. Let him do the one he wants.

[ragged]

DT, definitely. Practical and just as long term useful in life too, imho; more so than art, I suspect. Plus art at GCSE is so much darn work, I'd encourage DC towards almost anything else.

[happygardening]

Thanks ragged this is interesting. I gather you are speaking from experience.

[PyrotechnicsAtYourCervix]

GCSE Art is a massive amount of course-work (much more than any of the others!) and has put DD1 right off. She is arty and good at it and was interested but no more. SHe is also doing graphics which she has actually enjoyed much more.

[grovel]

OP, I would turn your argument on its head. This may be the only opportunity he gets in life to work with the expensive, specialised DT equipment etc.
The galleries won't go away just because he did not study GCSE Art. Sketch pads will still be sold.

[happygardening]

Thank you for your interesting feed back. Earlier this year I posted a similar question about which modern language to learn. We were thinking of Spanish and after reading your comments he choose German and loves it. PyrotechnicsAtYourCervix its a tragedy that your daughter has ben put off art there is something wrong with the curriculum if this is the case one would hope that it would instil a life long love of art.

[ellisbell]

comment from a teenager - d&T has the boys, art the girls (generalisation obviously but might influence him). Both have a lot of coursework.

Neither will be of use when applying for law, let him choose what he will enjoy.

[PyrotechnicsAtYourCervix]

I don't think any GCSE in anything would instil a lifelong love of anything. It's all about ticking the boxes and passing the assessment. That goes for science, french art or history. It is a tragedy that that is what school is all about but it is.

[ragged]

Don't want you to give me too much credit, HappyG. DH had a wonderful experience with DT and it's done him loads of good (went onto an engineering degree, and is very good at most DIY). I find high school workshops fascinating places (my school was arts specialist and didn't have those types of workshops at all).

GCSE art course is just so daunting, huge time commitment as you realise. No one should take it on if their heart isn't in it.

I have lots of lawyers relatives, btw. My uncle (corporate lawyer) keeps moaning that we need a plumber in the family, instead.

[DazzleII]

Interesting thread. I thought maybe the moans about Art GCSE were adolescent whining - but perhaps not?

[snowball3]

My eldest son did both Art and DT for GCSE. The coursework ( and exam timetable!) for Art was enormous. As I recall his Art exam was some 6 hours long and over 2 days. DT was certainly less intense than that but no less rigorous. You might need to check which syllabus the school covers-he did Resistant materials but there are other options . ( My youngest son took Law instead, much more useful! If anyone wants a half hour lecture on different forms of fatal and non-fatal offences he will be happy to oblige!)

[Theas18]

Unless he wants to do art at A level my firm advice would be don't do art at GCSE!

Eldest DD did art and was good at it, but her perfectionist streak meant it sucked up hours/days/weeks of her life and didn't make her happy, just frustrated TBH! From the parental side it was awful. We missed half term holidays because of the bloody thing. Yes she got A* but it really really really wasn't worth it.

Put it in an over all context of 10-11 GCSEs. If he's spending Sundays doing art mostly that is, obviously 1/7 th of a week which is a huge over representation of work put in vs results gained. Clearly available "study time" is much less than 7 days so 8-10hrs/ week doing art is effectively "stealing" time from his academic subjects. Fine if he loves it and it is what makes life tick for him (DD did 10-12hrs music a week but that was what she loved and the fact that it helped her GCSE/A level grades was almost a side issue) if not please think again.

One GCSE is just 1/10th (or what ever) of the "portfolio " they leave school with. Unless there are extenuating circumstances surely it shouldn't take more than 1/10th or what ever of the time.

[gettingalifenow]

I don't know about DT but I do know about Art (but not IGCSE - just GCSE).

My DD did Art for both GSCE and A level but it takes over your life (and your lounge). You may not have to work as hard as DD did but you do have to put the continous effort in.

BUT the reason I thought I'd reply, there is more to Art than just painting and drawing: for her GSCE work she majored on silk painting with beading embelishment and produced fantastic hangings (for which she got a Top Candidiate Award - so all 'allowed' in the approach) and for A level she incorporated alot of phtotogrphy and her final show was an installation including projections. So there are more 'technical' approaches within art too, which adds an interesting dimension which your DS might enjoy. Other girls did mixed media and scuplture too, so again, there are possibilities to take different approaches.

[happygardening]

My son was saying last night he's interested in ceramics and he's always been keen on African masks etc (cant stand them myself) the art teacher was saying that he could look at ceramics and that the design element is there without adding in the techie stuff; electronics etc. We hadn't thought about this type of art just painting drawing etc. Any thoughts about ceramics?

[Francesca22]

At DD's school a number of kids have dropped out of Art IGCSE because of the volume of course work and because they kept being taken off to galleries which meant they missed time at school and then had to catch up on the work they had missed in time they didn't have. Also hearing that being good at Art isn't necessarily the key to doing well in the exam as it's about interpretation rather than artistic skill -- at least I think that's what the kids are saying!

[ragged]

Oooh! My mother was a potter (I still use some of her bowls & cups).
Though real African masks tend to be made of wood.
I would have thought of mosaics as more arty than decorative masks.

[mumeeee]

DD1 did Art for GCSE. There was a lit of course work and also preparation for the exam. The exam was 10 hours and went over 2 days. She did go on to do it for AS as she was good and enjoyed it and her other A levels were very academic. If your DS wants to do DT then let him. It will actually probably be more useful later on then Art would.

[happygardening]

Having emerged from recent parent teacher meeting DS now really doesn't know what to do he's had both teachers praising his ability art slightly more the nuisance is that we have to choose. What I forgot to add is that he's slightly got his eye on history of art Pre U although art is not a prerequisite.

[gettingalifenow]

You asked ablut cermaics, happy. My DD produced some lovely ceramics in her AS level: i think for her it was the major component of one module. They took hours of work but were completely her own design and school was very supportive. Hers were lillies on lily pads - 4 or 5 of them each aobut 12 inches across. So there is lots of scope to pursue your own ideas, if the shcool can accommodate your choices. (I'd check your school has a kiln with the right termperature settings)