MORE than 200 students at Shanghai No. 3 Girls’ High School staged the classic musical “Les Miserables” recently, a performance that comes as a growing number of schools, students and parents embrace arts education.

Over recent years, students at the school have staged several productions, each involving a few dozens student-actors. But this latest show marks a dramatic increase in both cast-size and complexity. In addition to the on-stage performers, the show also involved a chorus, a band, advertisers and corporate partnerships. There were even souvenir badges for sale.

Drama has historically been absent from most Chinese school curricula, although some local teachers and education officials in Shanghai are keen to see this change.

Xu Yongchu, headmaster of the only all-girls’ high school in Shanghai, helped launch an course called “Theater In Education” in 2010. It was meant as an interdisciplinary course that would bring together language, art history, psychology and other fields of study.

According to Xu, many of the school’s most successful alumna took part in its drama club. Many also said the support they received there was a crucial part in their development.

“So I thought maybe we should develop it into a course that could benefit all our students,” she said.

“Meanwhile, the authorities have been saying that we should develop experiential teaching methods that make student enjoy the process of learning. But our existing system still tends toward lecturing and evaluating students with tests,” she said, adding that she hopes drama education can introduce much-needed change.

Xu also sees a need for greater emphasis on arts education in general. Fortunately, where Xu works, her students already have a strong interest in art.

“There are no literary interdisciplinary courses in local schools, while those specialized in science have introduced STEM programs, which combine science, technology, engineering and math to promote application of knowledge and inspire innovation in students,” she added. “Literature and arts can do this too. Interdisciplinary courses are very important for high school students as they help with knowledge digestion, transference and application, which are essential skills.”

The course is taught by two experienced Chinese actors, with support from teachers in other subjects.

In preparation for the musical, students approached the events and situations portrayed in “Les Miserables” in a number of different classes. They were also encouraged to express themselves through role playing.

“Every student is involved in the whole process and they learn to express themselves in front of people,” said Xu. “And after six years, we found that our students have become more confident to express themselves loudly. They are also good at empathic and critical thinking, as well as communication and cooperation.”

To further enhance the experience of students, teachers are sent to training every year and professional staff from artistic universities in the city and abroad are invited into the school for guidance. The director of this year’s musical came from Singapore.

New perspective

Xu confessed that the course faced challenges at the beginning as some students and parents wanted to focus more on traditional academics in preparation for China’s fiercely competitive college entrance examination.

“Some students even brought homework for other courses into the theater education classroom, because they believed it was not important,” Xu recalled.

But the teachers did not force them to embrace the class immediately. They told student they could merely watch from the sidelines if they did not like the course. The only requirement was that they focus on the teachers on stage, out of respect for their efforts.

“The teachers would appoint them some simple, minor roles at first and gradually they became attracted and fascinated,” Xu said. “And now, the course is very popular. Nobody brings homework anymore.”

Initially skeptical parents were also relieved to see their girls develop an interest in classic literature.

“The arts can improve peoples’ tastes and prompt them to learn more actively,” said Xu. “To perform well in the class, students have to read more of the classics to improve their appreciation ability. And as they improve their tastes, they realize the necessity of a rich knowledge base.”

To prepare for “Les Miserables,” all participants have spent a whole month on rehearsal. Each day, they had to stay with the rest of the cast and crew after school for at least two hours.

Shen Yiqiao, a second-year student at the school who played Madame Thenardier, said the rehearsal was time-consuming but with schedule reshuffling, she and her peers were able to balance the needs of the production with their course work.

In contrast to the abrasive, foul-mouthed character she plays on stage, Shen is a mild-mannered girl with a gentle demeanor. Yet, she said she was drawn to the bombastic role, which saw as a challenge.

“I’m a good girl in my parents’ eyes, so they were surprised that I can play such a role,” she told Shanghai Daily. “But they also told me that they were so proud of me.”

Shen said the drama course taught her many lessons.

“Without the classes, I would not know how to handle such a big stage, with such bold body language,” she said.

And it also helped her further understand the novel.

“I thought the wife of the landlord did not like her husband as she was always cursing him,” she said. “But after talking with teachers and the director, I got to know that she was not really angry with the landlord, but was poking fun at him. It’s a complicated role.”

The girls’ school is not the only local school to promote drama education. Earlier this year, the Shanghai Theater Academy signed a contract with 17 local high schools to help them improve drama education with its teaching resources and professional guidance, as well as student volunteers.

Lu Pin, a teacher at the academy who is responsible for student volunteers in drama education, said drama is an art form as well as a way of teaching.

“Drama improves not only aesthetic appreciation abilities, but also ... the capability of learning, expression, communication and cooperation,” she said.