The 1969 curriculum conference depicts a milestone in the development of education in Nigeria. It brought about the events that resulted in the designing of a socio-cultural, economic and politically relevant educational system for Nigeria.
The outcome of this was the National Policy on Education(NPE), otherwise known as the 6-3-3-4 education system. The Nigerian Certificate in Education(NCE) falls within the fourth level of the system.
Introduction
The design of the Music Education Programme was to take the form of cultural and Creative Arts(CCA)in the Primary School and early Secondary school, the Junior Secondary School (JSS), i.e. (6-3)level of the new educational policy.
Going back a little down memory lane: Institutions meant for the training of teachers were first established in Nigeria in the second half of the 19th century by the missionaries.
These teachers catered for primary education while expatriates took care of secondary education until 1932, when the Yaba Higher College was founded.
Focus 1
It was then that a three-year diploma program in education was introduced to prepare teachers to teach science courses in secondary school. Ashby’s commission report of 1959 brought about a turning point in the teacher education program.
The report posited that the country’s manpower development depended on the quality of well-qualified teachers and recommended priority attention to teacher education, without which the entire system of education cannot succeed.
Focus 2
The report recommended a two-year “Well-qualified Non-graduate Teacher’s Certificate Programme and the full degree (B.A. Or B. Sc. Education) program.”
Given this, Federal Advanced Teacher’s Colleges were established to run the non-degree program.
Thus, Ransome Kuti College of Education was established in 1961, Federal Advanced Teachers College(FATC), Akoka, Lagos, FATC, Owerri were started and Olunloyo College of Education, Ibadan.
Focus 3
Later, Ransome Kuti and Olunloyo Colleges fused into one and later metamorphosed as Adeyemi College of Education, now al Ondo. The teacher education degree program started in 1961, first at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Second, University of Ibadan, 1963, Zaria(1964), Lagos(1965), and Ile (1967). Without any doubt, both programs, whatever modifications over the years, have become indispensable features of the teacher education program in Nigeria.
My concentration, however, is on the Nigerian Certificate in Education awarding teacher education program, with the establishment of the first few Colleges of Education(COE).
Focus 4
Others have followed, such as one in Abraka and another in Kano: Before long, every state in Nigeria had a COE owned by the Federal or State Government.
Political developments in the country, especially during the second republic (19791983), contributed to the establishment of more COEs,
In some cases, some states owned military colleges or Campuses in a bid to increase their teacher supply and ensure the distribution of educational facilities.
However, established these Colleges inMfiment of election promises.”Ajayi(1990).This development brought the number of Colleges to 56 in 1984.
Today there are over 58 COEs in the country in addition to over 58 COEs in the country in addition to over twenty faculties in the country of education, Adenryi,1993.
The National Policy on Education(NPE)
In discussing this paper property an insight into the NPE is necessary. The NPE can be summarised thus
- M states a philosophy of Education
- 2Restructures the country’s educational system
- 3Designs a new curriculum package for the school system
- Prescribes a new educational delivery method to measure up with the prescribed curriculum and educational structure
- The philosophy says that Nigerian education would inculcate
- Respect for the worth and dignity of individuals
- Faith in man’s ability to make rational decisions
- Moral and spiritual values in inter-personal and human relations
- Shared responsibility for the common good of society and respect for the dignity of labour
- Respect for the dignity of labour, and
- Promotion of the emotional.Physical and psychological health of all children.
Focus
The Philosophy is also geared towards self-realisation, better human relationships, individual and national efficiency, effective citizenship, and national unity, as well as towards social-cultural, economic, political, scientific, and technological progress. In realising this philosophy, set aims and objectives are given.n
- The inculcation of national consciousness and national unity
- The inculcation of the night type of value and attitudes for the survival of the individual and the society.
- The training of the mind in the understanding of the world around us.
Focus
The acquisition of appropriate skills, abilities, and competence, both mental and physical, as equipment for the individual to live and contribute to the development of his society, F, E(1981)
This means that the educational system is to cater to the all-round development of the whole man physically, intellectually, spiritually, and morally.
Focus
Structurally, the Nigerian child will have to undergo about sixteen years of education. 6 years primary, 3 years Junior Secondary, 3 years Senior Secondary, and 4 years of higher education.
At the primary level, music is meant to be offered as part of the curricular activity. Something applies at the Junior Secondary level and Senior Secondary.
Music offerings at the Primary and Junior Secondary School (JSS) level are to be within the scope of cultural and creative arts. (CCA). This will be discussed later.
Music Education
At both Primary and Junior Secondary School(JSS)level, Music is included with a plan for teacher education to ensure successful implementation according to the objectives of the National Policy on Education(NPE).
The Government promises to make staff and facilities available for teaching creative arts and crafts and music FME.(1981).
The music curriculum of the 6-3 level, as mentioned, ned is CCA. This is the outcome of the First National Curriculum Conference(1969). Contributions like Taiwo (1969), Banjo (1969), Lawrence(1969), and Obiogun (1969)purported that the rts should be included in the school’s curriculum at all levels.
Focus 1
Their reasons other things -include the perpetuation of culture, aesthetic development, acquisition of information, understanding and appreciation of music education for living, and the extension of the cognitive and aesthetic insights of other men and women.
Ekwueme(1990). After the CCA had been incorporated into the National Policy on Education(NPE), the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council(NERDC)came up with a CCA curriculum.
The curriculum reflects that Music, Fine Arts, Drama, and Dance are to be taught as an integrated form and not as individual subjects distinct from one another.
Focus 2
The essence of this curriculum arrangement is the philosophy and process of African tradition that none of these arts exists without the others.CCA is thus aimed at enabling every Nigerian child to systematically acquire cultural and aesthetic education.
Thus, socio-cultural relevant artistic experience,e; since it explores cultural practices.creative experiences, aesthetic values, and the cultural arts of Nigerian people.
Educationally, the objectives of the cognitive, Affective, Psychomotor, and Aesthetic domains are satisfied by the CCA curriculum.
Focus 3
According to Ekwueme(1991), thirteen aims and objectives are outlined for Cultural and Creative Arts(CCA)
- Preserve, promote, protect, perpetuate, and transmit our cultural heritage.
- Promote cultural education by providing information that will develop a sense of culture. And social responsibility, and encouraging active participation in schools, the community
- Increase awareness, interest, and sensitivity toward our culture and other cultures.
- Enhance the learner’s level of aesthetic appreciation and knowledge of their music and dance with appropriate and adequate aesthetic experiences.
Meeting With Cultural Challenges
- Aesthetics(musical, performing, creative, and visual arts)education. Provide the opportunity for the inculcation of permanent literacy in
- Develop positive attitudes towards cultural affairs;
- Provide a basis for moral and character training and the development of sound attitudes through the allegorised nature of our folklore, especially in folk tales,
- Collect, develop, and acquire a repertoire of fables, folk artworks, and objects from various ethnic groups;
- Facilitate the sharing and exchange of repertoire in schools among various ethnic groups:
- Develop the basic skills in various art forms:
- Develop an ability to explore, manipulate, improvise, and experiment with sounds, colour, spaces, lines, form bodies, objects, tools, and other artistic elements and materials found in their local environment,
- Provide teachers with the knowledge, process, and tools with which to teach and
- Provide opportunities for children to:
- Develop a language for expressing ideas, feelings, and emotions, and through a variety of CCA experiences
- Gain an understanding of various media of expression and
- See the usefulness and relatedness of CCA in their school subjects ( F M E, 1991).
- Judging from these stated purposes of cultural and Creative Arts(CCA), it is apparent that this subject should be encouraged in schools. This requires a well-trained teacher.r
Implications for the Nigerian Certificate in Education Programme
According to section G of the National Policy on Education (NPE), “No education can be above the quality of its teacher” F, (1981).
This shows that the teacher is a key factor in the translation and implementation of educational policies, curriculum or course offerings, instructional materials, as well as the assessment of school outcomes.
Focus 1
Furthermore, the NPE states that the purpose of education inter alia is to produce highly motivated, conscientious, and efficient classroom teachers for all levels of our educational system, to provide teachers with intellectual and professional backgrounds.
This is adequate for their assignments and to make them adaptable to any changing situation, not only in the life of their country but in the wider world, FME(1981)
It means then that the course of studies students undergo at the College of Education (NCE) should meet this purpose. In this way, when they get to the field classroom, , m)they will not look like strangers or misfits.
Focus 2
Therefore, the music curriculum at the Nigerian Certificate in Education(NCE) program should serve the teachers’ need to fit into the primary assignment of teaching music at the primary and secondary school (JSS) levels.
In recent times, course offerings in many COEs in basicsciencesPhysicsChemistry, Biology and Health Science have been integrated to meet the primary and JSS levels.
Similarly, the courses in the social sciences, such as geography, history, economics, and population education, gave way to social studies to meet the social studies curriculum of the primary and JSS levels of the educational system.
Focus 3
However, Fine Arts, Music, and Drama are still being offered as separate courses. The curriculum of these Art courses is tailored more towards self-reliance on the part of beneficiaries than making the educators.
A close look at the music education at the College of Education shows that, besides the General courses in education and General studies in English and Teaching, the following courses are meant to be offered:
Teaching Courses
- Theory of Music
- Applied Music(Practical)
- African music(4)
- History of Western Music
- Ensemble(6)
- Aural and Ear Training
- Conducting(8)
- Music Education (Methodology)
- Scoring and Arranging(10)
- Dance performance
- Ethnomusicology(12)
- Project NCCE (1990)
Focus
These are courses being offered by those offering music as a Double Major Course. The following courses are for those studying music as a single major.
- Theory of music(2)
- Applied music(Practical)
- African music(4)
- Aural and Ear Training(6)
- Evolution of the music ensemble
- Keyboard Harmony(8)
- Link Music Education (Methodology)
- Music Appreciation
- Nationalism in music
- Conducting(12)
- Dance performance
- Music of our land(14)
Conclusion
How will this meet up with the curriculum expectation of the cultural and Creative Arts(CCA) being used at the primary and junior secondary school (JSS)? It can be seen that there is no way the course offering is adapted to the CCA.
If all that the teachers produced for the primary/secondary get exposed to is this, it will take a great toll on them to be able to handle the CCA. Read more similar posts on our education page of the site.
Editors
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