Extend Music in Australian Schools
Make Primary School Education the Focus for Boosts to Music Teaching
May 6, 2008
Curriculum, facilities and professional development for teachers are vital if effective music education is to reach all students in Australian schools. But even with these, where and how, in all the thousands of schools across the nation, should the project begin?
Work on Primary School Education First
Government, music teachers and the music industry are at one in stating that the initial focus for improving music education should be primary schools. At government level, the Cultural Ministers Council has named primary schools as its first target in the project to boost music education. Everyone has to understand though that it will be an expensive job, because these schools are the most under-resourced in the nation.
In 2007, the Australian Primary Principals Association placed music education outside its preferred core curriculum due largely to inadequate provision of resources by governments over many years. Then in early 2008, the new Australian Government under Kevin Rudd agreed to give higher funding to primary schools in the future.
The Role of the Australian Government
This is an indication of moves in the right direction in government circles. Next it must make sure that the funding covers raising the status of music in schools, pre-service and in-service teacher education, employment of specialist music teachers, as well as provision of facilities and resources.
Singing in Schools Vital
Within music teaching, perhaps one of the first aspects to regenerate should be singing. Singing is so vital to human development that it should be centre-stage in all primary schools. Music, and especially singing, should be integrated into the time-table not only as a regular specialist lesson but also as an essential, regular component in the general classroom teacher’s program.
Singing is an invaluable aide in many areas of cognitive development – memorising information like multiplication tables, learning new vocabulary, instilling important concepts and values, mastering syllabification of words, and so on. In the social and affective domains singing is a powerful way to introduce new students to each other, to start the day by increasing alertness and by relating to teacher and peers in mutually sustaining ways. Singing can cement relationships within the class, boost esteem for self and peers, and give appreciation of different cultures. And this list only scrapes the surface of its potential. Singing increases a person’s overall well-being.
Education of Teachers for General Classroom Role
One of the most-mentioned issues in high level reports – most notably the National Music Workshop – is the lack of confidence and skills among primary classroom teachers when it comes to musical activities. At the very least pre-service training and in-service professional development should give them enough confidence to sing with their classes and enjoy doing so.
This means firstly understanding that they do not need to sing like professional performers. The mere fact that they are participating with their students will encourage their classes to do likewise. If music specialists can help the generalists to develop the basic skills – posture, breath management, using the three registers, pitch accuracy and so on – this will be adequate for incorporating singing in their daily programs. The use of musical instruments, elementary theory and so on can then follow much more easily.
Bring Musicians into Schools
The reports of the National Music Workshop and the Cultural Ministers Council (2008) advocate attracting practising musicians into schools. This is a powerful way of sparking enthusiasm for music-making among students and also giving professional development to teachers. The “artist-in-residence” concept can be very fruitful, and in many schools it could be the first step in initiating the development of an effective music education program. Why not find ways of encouraging, not only professional musicians, but also tertiary music students to participate in such schemes?
The Time-Tabling Issue
Whenever advocates for music education present their case for its inclusion in all schools there are objections on the grounds that “the time-table is already over-crowded”. Constructing the school time-table is undoubtedly a difficult job in most schools because so many demands must be met. Yet the importance of providing an effective music program is such that the difficulty must be surmounted. The Seares Report (of the National Review of School Music Education) discusses the issue and points out that schools like Dawes Road Primary in Victoria and MLC in Burwood (NSW) have overcome the problem of time-tabling. The triumph of such schools and the consequent joy and multi-faceted development of their students makes them potential models for all other schools in Australia.
