Abstract:

Conservation and restoration as scientific and artistic subjects are nowadays matters apparently related only to university degrees. Likewise, the knowledge of the artistic and cultural heritage and its conservation and diffusion as the trace of passed cultures and civilisations has often been ignored in the education of new and future societies.

Over the last two decades, however, there has been substantial progress concerning these ideas, mainly thanks to international actions: The Ludwig Weis Report of 1963, which modified the notion of architectural heritage; and the Convention on Natural, Cultural and World Heritage, passed by the UNESCO General Conference in 1972, which included the notion of historical heritage site within the bigger picture of cultural heritage.

Ulterior development of these actions, besides having had immediate impact on university studies, has also been applied to the syllabus of secondary education, which in the Spanish System are called ESO (lower secondary school) and Bachillerato (upper secondary school).

This survey aims at presenting the way these subjects might be taught within the syllabus of both ESO and Bachillerato, emphasizing the branch of Bachillerato de Artes (upper secondary studies focused on the plastic arts).

Pre-university studies are our researching field, as they might be both the basis for the training of would-be specialists in restoration and conservation and for individuals' education for the respect of heritage. Indeed these aspects receive great attention in our daily classroom work.

As a matter of fact, in the syllabus we implement the project Vigías del Patrimonio, Apadrinar un bien de interés cultural (Heritage Watchers. Sponsor a heritage site), which is an initiative of the UNESCO Forum and the UPV (Universitat Politècnica de València).

In accordance with our principle of “teaching values”, reinforced by the participation in several projects and programmes, be they public (Valencian Education Department) or private initiatives, our secondary school the IES Professor Broch I Llop (Vila-real) has considered very momentous our participation in this project, both in order to link our students to UNESCO and as a way of facilitating their awakening, knowledge and approach towards the heritage they are surrounded by.

As our secondary school teaches three of the branches of the Spanish upper secondary studies (scientific, socio-humanistic and arts), the spectrum of our students is very broad. Consequently, our participation in the project “Vigías del Patrimonio. Apadrinar un bien de interés cultural” is complete and interdisciplinary, carried out both by students and teachers and it will bear fruit in the training of future university students.