Factors causing the non-teaching of music in Zambia: Case of Primary Schools in Chongwe District, Lusaka,Zambia

The study investigated the factors causing the non-teaching of Music in primary schools of
Chongwe district in Lusaka Province. The objectives of the study were to establish the reasons
why most teachers did not teach Music, determine skills and knowledge levels of general
teachers in Music, and assess the perception on the effectiveness of Music Education by teachers
and administrators. The research included 48 teachers and four administrators from four primary
schools namely; Chalimbana, Chongwe, Bimbe and Kabeleka. The questionnaires were
administered to teachers and interviews were held with administrators in the primary schools
under study.
The descriptive research design was used because the research sought to collect information
about the respondents‟ opinions on the topic at hand. Qualitative data, with the emphasis on
participants‟ “lived experience” was fundamental for answering the research questions and to
augment the body of existing data on the state of Music Education in primary schools.
In general, the analysis of the data obtained revealed that factors pertaining to the state of Music
Education in Zambia were related to unclear policy on Music Education, lack of support from
stake holders in the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Early Education, inadequate
teacher preparatory, teachers‟ lack of confidence to teach Music, negative attitude towards the
subject and lack of in-service teacher training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
Other factors included lack of resources and combination of five contributory subjects into one
subject area Creative Technology Studies.
Recommendations include regular and deliberate promotion of in-service teacher training
courses for Music and to come up with a clear policy on Music Education in order to encourage
and improve the state of Music Education in primary schools. Regular sensitization should be
adhered to in order to instill a sense of Music appreciation and intensify regular monitoring by
Standards Officers and school administrators. Lastly, the Curriculum Development Centre should
address the problem of teachers‟ reference and text books which is prevalent in all primary
schools and reconsider the combination of five subjects into one subject area.