In recent years there has been a flurry of interest by academics in craft. This includes several influential books and the launch of two scholarly journals. At the same time, there has been a crisis in craft education in the UK. In compulsory education, cost, reductions of hours for craft lessons, low status and the demands of a narrow examination syllabus have all contributed to its rapid decline. At postsecondary level, cost, low status and a decline in applications have caused many craft courses to close. In adult education, cost, high fees and a pressure from government for all such courses to lead to qualifications have led to decline in the provision of craft in this sector.

In this paper, the present state of craft education will be explained by examining its history. Craft will be put in context in relation to society, to technology, to design, to industry and to art. It will be shown that there have been four discrete strands of craft, three of which played an important role in compulsory schooling, while two had a major impact in post-compulsory education. Underlying much of this is its low status and a view that it represents old fashioned values. On the other hand, craft remains the most popular school subject for girls and second only to physical education for boys. The paper finishes by making a case for the relevance of craft education today.

Malcolm Ferris (editor)