CURRENT STATUS AND SUGGESTIONS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ART EDUCATION (TAKING HEBEI PROVINCE, CHINA AS AN EXAMPLE)

Abstract

Art education in Hebei Province, China, plays a vital role in the national education system and is essential for cultivating students' aesthetic taste, innovative thinking, and humanistic literacy. With increasing national emphasis on education quality, art education has become a key indicator of regional educational development. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach—combining quantitative data analysis, qualitative field surveys, and policy text interpretation—to examine the current status, challenges, and optimization pathways for art education management in Hebei Province. Key issues identified include uneven resource allocation, fragmented management mechanisms, and structural shortages of teaching staff, especially in rural areas (where full-time art teachers account for less than 30%). The research proposes a three-dimensional integrated optimization framework: (1) reconstructing governance mechanisms based on 'government-school-society' collaboration; (2) pursuing digital empowerment through cloud platforms and VR-based cultural heritage integration; and (3) integrating Yan Zhao cultural genes (e.g., Hebei Bangzi, Wuqiang New Year paintings) into the curriculum. The study contributes to both theory and practice by proposing a regionalized analytical framework and offering actionable policy recommendations to support provincial art education reform and development.