Reflections on selected tertiary music programmes in Francophone and English-speaking Africa: A report

Abstract

This report deals with a real gap between music programmes in Francophone and English- speaking tertiary institutions within selected West and Central African countries. It is not a theoretical article, but rather a presentation of historical information with minimal speculation. This report was initially a response in January 2004 to a request from the Pan-African Society for Musical Arts Education (Pasmae) to write about my involvement in music education, especially in African Francophone countries, for an appointment as an Ambassador-extraordinary. I have dwelt solely on my own experiences with music curricula from West Africa, especially from Ghanaian and Nigerian universities. More clearly, this report is not designed to offer scholarly opinions and arguments on the adequacies/inadequacies of syllabi and course contents in African tertiary music education, because this is definitely a different and open issue. I narrow the focus to concentrate on the discrepancy between English-speaking and Francophone music curricula in West and Central Africa, where Legon may validly stand for a number of other tertiary institutions that have developed a curriculum based on Africa-driven and Western approaches. For instance, the seeds planted in each one of the above directions in Kenya and South Africa— representing an axis between African identities and Western curricula—will necessarily be reflected in my present assessment. Students from English-speaking countries would find curricula they would regard as standard in, for instance, the 1990s handbooks of the University of Ghana, Legon or the Legon website <University of Ghana>. On the other hand, scholars and cultural agents from Francophone Africa may need an example of such contents for their decision- making.