Table 1.

Aims of practical and aesthetic subjects cited from the Swedish compulsory school syllabuses³⁰

Subject	Aim
Home and consumer studies	The subject provides experiences of social community, food and meals, housing and consumer economics, as well as opportunities to experience connections and pleasure in domestic work. The aim is to provide experiences and an understanding of the consequences of daily activities and habits in terms of economics, the environment, health and well-being (p15).
Physical education and health	The subject aims at developing pupils' physical, psychological and social abilities, as well as providing knowledge of the importance of lifestyle for health (p19).
Art	The subject aims at developing not only a knowledge of art, but also a knowledge of creating, analysing and communicating visually. It should develop desire, creativity and creative abilities, provide a general education in the area of the arts and lead to pupils acquiring their own standpoint in a reality characterised by huge flows of visual information (p7).
Crafts	The subject aims at creating an awareness of aesthetic values and developing an understanding of how choices over material, processing and construction influence a product's function and durability. The subject also aims at providing a knowledge of environmental and safety issues, and creating an awareness of the importance of resource management (p77).
Music	The subject /…/ aims at giving each pupil a desire and the opportunity of developing their musical skills and to experience that a knowledge of music is grounded in, liberates and strengthens their own identity, both socially, cognitively and emotionally (p35).