International Journal of Education & the Arts

Since the beginning of the 5th Republic, social demands have influenced the demand to reform the place of culture in education as a way of developing better access to French culture for all students. In recent decades, the rising number of immigrants has created administrative districts characterized by geographic contrast, social inequalities, and diverse populations, increasing the need for artistic education. This article proposes to approach the political measures that allowed the development of arts teaching in primary schools in France to understand the cultural pedagogical practices provided in primary school. In doing so, I explore the ways that experimentation with local heritage provides the necessary social dimensions that support students in their understanding of French culture, diminish unequal access to art, and how schools might be used as a tool in the process of cultural democratization.