Description
In England, music teachers can be constrained by definitions of curriculum and conceptualisations that form part of policy discourse. In the USA, state standards for music exist and although predominantly more descriptive than prescriptive, there is a growing political managerialism on how music education should be constituted in schools. The growing tendency towards standardisation of the curriculum in England and the USA has the potential to limit music teachers in their classroom practices and may inhibit the learning of pupils. Standardisation may therefore be more convenient than meaningful for music in schools.Beginning with current policy positions, this paper will examine the compulsory elements of music education in England and the United States. It will explore the impact of imposed standards on pupils’ participation in music and discuss issues of affordability and access to the subject in schools. It will consider how the political management of schools, both locally and nationally can impact musical achievement in its respective national cultures.
The paper will take the form of a conversation between the presenters and will address whether in limiting curricular thinking, school leaders and politicians limit the boundaries of musical horizons. It will posit the possibility that a curriculum of convenience is thereby created, in place of a curriculum of musical meaning. By examining approaches to music curriculum between the two nations, the paper will consider whether the aim of political dominance is to create a teacher-proof music curriculum and ask whether this approach dishonours the inherently human practice of musical self-expression.
Finally, ideas and starting points will be drawn from the discussion, with significance for music education in other nations, where the tension between political dominance and music teacher curriculum agency may be similarly acute.
| Period | 11 Apr 2023 → 14 Apr 2023 |
|---|---|
| Held at | Royal College of Music, United Kingdom |
| Degree of Recognition | International |