Music in education
THE TRAINING
OF SPECIALIST TEACHERS OF MUSIC
IN THE UNIVERSITY OF READING,
IN ENGLAND
by
Arnold BENTLEY, Lecturer, University of Reading, U.K.This article deals with the work done at Reading University in the
training of specialist music teachers. The music graduates follow the
general course for Diploma in Education alongside graduates in other
subjects, but a considerable part of their time is given to a study of
their future work as music teachers in schools.
The minimum requirements for entry to this course are as follows :
(a) matriculation, as for any other candidate for a university course;
(b) either a university degree in Music, B.Mus., B.A. (Music Hons.),
etc., or professional diplomas in music taken during a period of at least
three years full-time study at a college of music.
Thus, each year I receive a group of students consisting of university
graduates from different universities whose courses are by no means
all the same, students from the colleges and academies of music who
are often good performers but less academic than their university
fellows, and occasionally men and women who have already had some
years’ teaching experience.
The members of this group work together in music activities, and
because of their varied training and experience have much to learn
from each other.
They follow their general pedagogical studies in the company of,
and at the same level as, graduates in subjects other than music; thus
their general outlook on educational topics is widened, and their own
education and culture enlarged. I should add, moreover, that many of
the musicians have one other subject, e.g. English, French, geography)
up to general B.A. standard.
Most of my students eventually teach in grammar schools; a few
go to primary and secondary modern schools.
Turning now to the musical work of the course: I try to introduce
the students to the problems and possibilities of music teaching in
schools, and at the same time I try to enlarge their musical knowledge