How to make the charm of theatre shine in schools? ——Investigation and reflections on the implementation of theatre education under the “New Arts Curriculum Standards” in mainland China

With the release of the Arts Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education (2022 Version), significant progress has been made in theatre education at the compulsory education stage in China. The penetration and participation rates of school theatre courses have steadily increased, along with the growth and professionalization of the teacher workforce and the enrichment of course formats, teaching content and methods. Students have shown high levels of interest and engagement. However, the implementation of school-based theatre education still faces numerous challenges, including imbalances in teacher’s gender and professional titles, insufficient course time, inadequate teaching resources, underdeveloped mechanisms for managing theatre clubs, and disparities in students’ foundational abilities and insufficient external support. Further analysis reveals deeper constraints hindering the widespread adoption of theatre education: the lack of teacher certification and clear standards for career advancement, misalignment between teacher education programs and school needs, unestablished collaboration mechanisms with social arts troupes, and regulatory challenges in the off-campus training market. To promote the comprehensive development of theatre education in the future, it is recommended that the government improve teacher certification and career advancement systems, higher education institutions adjust teacher education programs and enhance professional development for in-service teachers, and social arts troupes and off-campus training vendors strengthen their collaboration with schools. These efforts aim to establish a sustainable support mechanism for the development of theatre education.