AN EMPIRICAL MUSIC CURRICULUM: A PANACEA FOR PUPILS' DWINDLING INTEREST IN MUSIC IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

AbstractThere exists a disparity between what pupils are programmed to learn as stipulated inthe curriculum and what is obtainable in actual classroom situation as regards music.This paper traced pupils dwindling interest in music to the Primary Schools curriculumin Anambra state and its poor implementation. The current curriculum was found tobe insensitive to the learning behavior of children, as it does not create room for aplayful learning atmosphere; it is Western oriented, neglecting traditional, folk, andrecreational songs that would be more meaningful to pupils. It also gave music animprisoned status by embedding it into other subjects as Cultural and Creative Arts(CCA) which was handled by every other teacher. Classroom experience gained by thewriter through active teaching and observation of pupils and data collected viaassessment chart from 2005 to 2019 have shown that if pupils’ interest were enkindledthrough creating such conducive musical atmosphere (playful and less rigid) otheraspects of their musical learning like rudiments, sight-reading, choral singing, etc.would flow through. An empirical ideology for a new music curriculum was suggestedwhich would include the contribution of music experts; handling of music instructionby qualified and competent teachers; and the provision of adequate teaching/learningmaterials by the government as promised.