Policy and Practice in Music Education in NSW State Primary Schools (Paperback)

This book focuses on the development and implementation of the New South Wales (K-6) Music Syllabus (1984) in Australia, and the effectiveness of the curriculum development model that was intended to overcome repeatedly identified deficiencies and policy implications arising from these findings. An examination of the events leading to the development of the syllabus revealed key deficiencies in primary music education and recommended that specialist teachers be used in primary schools; improved resources and facilities be provided for all schools; all children have the opportunity to learn an instrument; teacher training institutions and professional development programs provide teachers with better music education skills, knowledge and attitudes; and a new music syllabus be developed, based on children's developmental stages. This book, for practitioners, evaluates the development of the syllabus and its implementation seven years after its launch in relation to how effectively it addressed these identified deficiencies. It identifies key factors influencing primary music education and recommends some policy suggestions in response to the problems arising from these results.