MUSIC education bestows many benefits on a child’s performance in school. In Malaysia, music was first introduced as a compulsory subject in primary schools in 1983.
Over the years the curriculum has changed with music being a component of arts education, taking only 30 minutes of one-hour slots in primary schools.
This has impacted the teaching and learning of music in schools and will further impact the intake of students and music education at the tertiary level.
NOT JUST ENTERTAINMENT
Universiti Teknologi MARA Academia Muzika and Centre for Music Advocacy director Associate Professor Dr Ramona Mohd Tahir said Malaysian society still takes the importance of music and music education lightly. Malaysia’s desire to become culturally developed is not fully realised compared to developed countries which have focused on music education in their education system.
“Parents underestimate the importance of music in their children’s early life and the knowledge of musical elements is not being disseminated to the public who generally thinks music is just entertainment.
“The Chinese send their children for private music lessons but society as a whole lack awareness of music education at an early stage in life,” she said.
Associate Professor Dr Mohd Hassan Abdullah, who lectures at the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts in Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), said music education is important in the early ages especially at primary school because it helps in all areas of child development and skills for school readiness.
For example, he said, music is inter-related to intellectual thinking, social and emotional behaviour, language and literacy.
“It helps the body and mind to work together. Exposing children to music during early development helps them to learn sounds and meanings of words,” said Mohd Hassan.
“Many studies found that music helps a young child develop cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains. Research found that learning music facilitates learning other things and enhances skills that children inevitably use in other areas.
“Musical training physically develops the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language. So learning music early in life is very important to every child.”
At UPSI, a lot of effort including talks, conferences, workshops and publications has gone into creating awareness of music education.
“However, the current education system in the country focuses on other subjects especially those which include informal summative examinations such as science, mathematics and English language.
“Music is a non-exam subject which is often treated as an unimportant component in the education system. We have to put more effort into advocating music education for the Malaysian citizen.”
Ramona added that many fail to realise that music education is an important educational area which can no longer be nurtured at schools.
“Trainers lack experience and skills in music as a result of limited exposure to the subject. Institutions of higher learning may face a decline in the recruitment of music students as a result.”
ISSUES
In 2014, the Malaysian Association for Music Education (MAME) organised a music forum to discuss the impact of reducing the amount of time spent on music education at primary schools.
Forty participants consisting of music lecturers from local universities and institutions, music teachers, school inspectorates, music textbook writers, school administrators and tertiary music undergraduates attended the event.
The following year, MAME presented the findings to the then Deputy Education Minister 1 Datuk Mary Yap. MAME suggested that music education subjects return to two 30-minute sessions per week.
However, the proposal was put on hold after a cabinet reshuffle and Yap was posted to the Higher Education Ministry.
Ramona, who is also MAME president, said the results of the survey show that the reduction of time spent on teaching music in primary schools has put a constraint on the achievement of the Primary School Music Education Curriculum objectives.
Mohd Hassan said the music curriculum developed by the Curriculum Development Division of the Education Ministry should be able to create interest among pupils.
“However, due to many factors, the implementation of a music education programme in schools is not what we expected of the curriculum.
“The policy to shorten the teaching period of the music subject in primary schools made it worse. What can pupils learn in 30 minutes per week?
“Some schools use this time for other ‘important’ exam subjects. Furthermore, in some schools, non-music major teachers teach the subject, while some music teachers do not teach the subject in schools at all.”
He added: “The aim of the curriculum is to equip students with knowledge and skills to develop their self-potential in creativity, critical and innovative thinking as well as appreciate the beauty of art and cultural heritage.
“But with a time limit, I don’t think the primary school music curriculum will be able to develop a career path in music education for pupils.
“However, learning music at private centres is different from learning it at school. Music centres nurture performance skills in students. This can develop a career path in music.”
CAREER PATH
The oldest music faculty in the country, UiTM celebrated its 34th anniversary this year. Ramona, who was former Faculty of Music dean, said the faculty began as the Department of Music under the School of Art and Design in 1984.
However, music has been a part of UiTM history since 1980 when it was offered as an elective subject. Subsequently, the School of Art and Design submitted a proposal to offer the Advanced Diploma in Music equivalent to a general degree.
“This course was approved by the ministry on June 21, 1983, and the first cohort of students enrolled in 1984 under the Department of Music, School of Art and Design.
“UiTM is the first institution of higher education in the country to offer a degree course in music and it has the largest number of such students in the nation.”
The university prides itself on being an innovator in higher education and recognises the role of music in shaping the development of a holistic person as well as music’s contribution to the country.
Its Faculty of Music offers a variety of music programmes at the diploma, bachelor and postgraduate levels which focus on the development of academic competence and professional skills with critical and creative abilities.
“The faculty aims to spearhead the advancement of music performance, music composition, music business and music education in the country and on the international front through creative music learning-teaching strategies and cutting-edge music research.”
UPSI has places for 60 music students per intake every year. It offers both a diploma and degree course in music education.
The diploma programme does not prepare the student to become a music teacher. However, its graduates can pursue the bachelor’s degree programme in music education or any other specialisation in music.
UPSI has some 377 students pursuing the bachelor’s degree in music education and doctoral degree majoring in music education courses.
“Since 1998, we have produced 40 to 60 qualified music teachers every year. They are posted at secondary schools throughout the country.
“However, the number of student intake varies in number every year because we abide by the Education Ministry’s projection. In some years, the ministry only projected 20 students per intake.
“However, with the open policy in recent years, we can decide on the total number of students per intake. Every year we receive more than 1,000 applications from throughout the country,” Mohd Hassan added.
Apart from educating future music teachers, the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts at UPSI conducts research to acquire new knowledge in the field of music as well as find solutions to issues in music education.
“We also organise many musical activities such as performances, music competitions, workshops and talks.”
TEACHING CAREER
UiTM students, Huzaifah Yukirin, 24, and Mohamad Danial Mohd Nazrin, 22, not only share a love for music but also a passion for teaching it.
Inspired by her music teacher to become one herself, Huzaifah said: “Music is universal as everyone loves music. We are exposed to different genres but getting the young ones to appreciate music is difficult. And that is where I come in.”
Huzaifah is doing her practical at SK Section 18, Shah Alam.
For Mohamad Danial, both his parents who are teachers inspired him to follow in their footsteps.
“I pursued a diploma course in music where I studied the fundamentals. Then I enrolled in the Bachelor in Music Education programme.
I have 18 months to go before I become a teacher,” said Mohamad Danial, who majors in traditional Malay instruments.
He hopes to change the perception of music teachers in society. “Teaching is a noble vocation and music can bring people from different cultural backgrounds and countries together.”