The study of fine art has been given less importance in the latest education policy for which the nation faces the possibility of falling behind the contemporary world, said a number of fine art connoisseurs.

They demanded inclusion of fine art as a compulsory subject in schools and collages of the country to produce creative and dedicated human beings.

The Daily Star on Tliesday went to some of the fine art experts of the country to get their views of the pros and cons of the strategies in the National Education Policy 2010 to promote fine art.

"To make a nation civilised and culturally oriented, the government

must come forward to patronise the study of fine arts, with proper emphasis,” said noted sculptor Prof Hamiduzzaman Khan.

But the students of our country are being deprived of these facilities for lack of government efforts and public awareness, Prof Hamiduzzaman added.

The education policy approved on April 29 last year says fine art will be taught at primary and high schools as an optional subject.

"It is disappointing that the government did not declare the study of fine art as a compulsory subject,” said Prof Emdadul Haque Md Matlub Ali, dean of Faculty of Fine Arts, Dhaka University.

The government should make fine

art a mandatory subject from class one to 11 in educational institutions, he said.

Just as fine art began to flourish in the country, some religious bigots tried to physically and mentally harass artists. These bigots have not stopped, he added.

"Unless the government directly patronises this branch of education and refrains from being influenced by them (religious bigots), the nation will surely fail to keep pace with the modern world,” hesaid.

Dhaka Collegiate School Headmaster Mohammad Fariduddin also supported the demand that the government should make fine art a compulsory subject to make children efficientintheartsand crafts arena.

Theexperts said finearthelps in learning mathematics, science, engineering andmanybranchesofeducation.

Fine art not only helps children to be more oriented towards culture, it also helps them be punctual, efficient and disciplined, commented artist Shishir Kumar Bhattacharya.

The fine arts faculty students and teachers demanded creation of more posts of fine art teachers, inline with the education policy, which says the government would appoint efficient fine art teachers in all educational institutions.

They also expressed dissatisfaction at the fact that there are only two posts for Arts and Crafts at Teachers' Tiaining College, which is insufficient compared to the number of students.