Advocacy Statement
Carl Orff Canada (COC) is a National music organization which encourages the holistic development of music education. For 40 years, the Nova Scotian chapter of (COC) has been supporting Nova Scotian music specialists, who have a reputation for excellence across the country.
Nova Scotia’s music curriculum is derived in large part from Orff pedagogy. An Orff program calls for an emphasis on exploration and creativity using movement, instruments, and voice. Not all students in the province have equitable access to an appropriate space or instruments to support these experiences. We are concerned by the increasingly common practice of music teachers being required to deliver a music program without consideration given to the logistical challenges.
Music teachers working “from a cart” have no dedicated teaching space. They are expected to transport their materials from classroom to classroom 8-9 times in a single day, often up and down stairs. Students lose valuable instruction time as teachers set up and take down materials, and lose opportunities to explore xylophones, drums, ukuleles, guitars, and percussion instruments. In this situation, the quality of the music program is undermined no matter how skilled/creative the educator may be.
It is the opinion of Orff NS that elementary music is most effective when delivered in a dedicated music room with space for movement and easy access to instruments. As pre-primary classes place additional demands on overcrowded schools, we fear the effect this will have on elementary music programs.
Orff NS would like to see our province continue to uphold its reputation for high quality music education. We will continue in our mandate to support teachers and students across the province, and hope the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the Regional Centres for Education will work to preserve the tradition of strong music programs across the province.
Nova Scotia’s music curriculum is derived in large part from Orff pedagogy. An Orff program calls for an emphasis on exploration and creativity using movement, instruments, and voice. Not all students in the province have equitable access to an appropriate space or instruments to support these experiences. We are concerned by the increasingly common practice of music teachers being required to deliver a music program without consideration given to the logistical challenges.
Music teachers working “from a cart” have no dedicated teaching space. They are expected to transport their materials from classroom to classroom 8-9 times in a single day, often up and down stairs. Students lose valuable instruction time as teachers set up and take down materials, and lose opportunities to explore xylophones, drums, ukuleles, guitars, and percussion instruments. In this situation, the quality of the music program is undermined no matter how skilled/creative the educator may be.
It is the opinion of Orff NS that elementary music is most effective when delivered in a dedicated music room with space for movement and easy access to instruments. As pre-primary classes place additional demands on overcrowded schools, we fear the effect this will have on elementary music programs.
Orff NS would like to see our province continue to uphold its reputation for high quality music education. We will continue in our mandate to support teachers and students across the province, and hope the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the Regional Centres for Education will work to preserve the tradition of strong music programs across the province.