Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Conference of the Arts and the University of Ottawa recently announced their collaboration in co-hosting the fourth national symposium on arts education entitled “Sharing the Vision” which will take place in Ottawa in July 2000.
This annual symposium gathers artists, educators and students to discuss how best to ensure that the arts are a fundamental and sustained part of the Canadian school system for all students in all schools. They know that children and young adults who study music and the arts are creative, imaginative, possess strong problem solving skills and actually score higher on a scholastic admission test than students who are not exposed to the arts.
The government is committed to ensuring a higher quality of life for our children. Our children learning in, through and about the arts is of vital importance for their future. We must continue to play a role in guaranteeing quality arts education for all Canadian children in the new millennium.