A partial view of guests and participants
In a bid to address the growing need for enhanced music integration in early childhood education, the National Arts and Craft Council of Seychelles in collaboration with the Conservatoire of Performing Arts and the Institute of Early Childhood Development, is hosting an innovative one-week workshop on Early Childhood Music Education.
This pivotal event will be led by esteemed facilitators Dr Susan Young, an Honorary Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Research and Early Childhood in Birmingham, and her husband, Michael Young. They both bring a wealth of expertise to the programme.
The workshop, launched yesterday morning at the National Theatre, Mont Fleuri aims to equip local music instructors, teachers, daycare providers, and childminders with essential knowledge and practical skills to effectively incorporate music into early childhood education.
Main facilitator, Dr Susan Young, explained that by the end of the workshop, she hopes that the attendees will gain a deep understanding of pedagogical culture. “They will learn about games to play with children and they will learn about the music development of young children,” she expressed.
‘From the age of birth to five years old, there are big changes,” she added.
The workshop will also discuss priority issues such as technology, which Dr Young expresses is valuable to consider in practice.
She elaborated on music development, highlighting that children are inherently musical from birth. “Babies exhibit musicality even before they learn to speak; their use of vocalisations and interactions are fundamentally musical.”
According to Dr Young, the programme will also feature occasional practical exercises. “You cannot ask adults to sit on the floor and pretend to be four-yearolds, but I will model and tailor activities to the individuals as we go on.”
She noted that one of the most paramount things to remember is to explain the principals behind the activities or games. This will allow them to take an opportunity to discuss what could be incorporated into the Seychelles’ style of learning.
“What I want to emphasise is that I cannot tell them what to do in their own practice, I can share principals, I can share ideas. However, there need to be that transfer stage where they think that they can do certain things an alternative sort of way.” The workshop will be informal, interactive and very flexible.
In her remarks, the chief executive of the Institute of Early Childhood Development (IECD)/Unesco Category 2 Institute, Shirley Choppy, stated that this collaboration with the Conservatoire of Performing Arts (CPA) and the National Arts and Craft Council (NACC) fall under the ambit of the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts, which underscores the collective responsibility of all institutions and community segments in nurturing the development of children.
“Together, we aim not only to acquire knowledge and skills, but also to celebrate the importance and transformative power of music in promoting the holistic development of the younger learners,” she stated.
The obligation and dedication to creating the said nurturing environment for young children is firmly established in the legal framework and targeted programmes.
Furthermore, she conveyed that the training has come at an opportune time and presents a unique opportunity for all educators working in childcare settings to learn more about music education.
Mrs Choppy said it was imperative for educators to understand why music education is important and there should be planning for ways to effectively incorporate it into early learning settings to support children’s development.
“We hope with the planned sensitisation workshops, educators will be able to apply the knowledge and skills in an effort to revitalise music education in their respective facilities.”
In conclusion, she factored in that honing in on nurtured child abilities through music also creates enhanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Present for yesterday’s launch were chief executive for NACC, Jimmy Savy; Permanent Secretary for Culture, Cecile Kalebi; Head of Music Programme at the Conservatoire of Performing Arts, Antoine Souris; and the Director of Conservatoire of Performing Arts, Pierre Joseph.