Music curriculum in Nigerian secondary schools and colleges: What relevance?

Abstract

The relevance of music curriculum in Nigerian secondary schools and colleges is the focus of this paper. The study was based on the research carried out recently to see how music teachers react to some identified factors that may enhance relevance of the curriculum to the educational needs and aspirations of Nigerians. The study found out that the current music curriculum is not relevant to the needs of the students and the culture of the society. Some of the solutions to this problem are to make the theory and practice of Nigerian music the basis of music education in Nigerian schools, to localize the task of planning music education programme considering the multicultural and heterogeneous nature of the country, to select what is to be taught based on the possibility and reality of practicality and to include Islamic, Christian, Traditional Religious and Folk music as well as music of general interest in the selected materials to be used for illustration.

Nigerian Music Review Vol. 6 2005: pp. 75-88