THE CAREER PATHWAY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF ZAMBIA: A REFLECTION OF THE CONTINUITY OF MUSICAL ARTS EDUCATION

Abstract

Zambia’s education landscape has gone through transformations since independence. These transformations were as a result of the nation undergoing rapid socio-economic development prompting a revision of the curriculum at all levels of the education sector. In 2014, the Ministry of Education revised the curriculum with help from the United States Agency for International Development in an effort to improve and enhance pupil performance at secondary school level. Against this background, the Zambia Education Curriculum Framework was developed to provide guidance on the preferred type of education for the nation. This new curriculum gave birth to career paths for learners at secondary school level which was aimed at providing an opportunity to academic progression in line with learners’ abilities and interests. The career pathways are at academic and vocational levels. The vocational career pathway is for learners with ambitions and interests in technical and practical jobs meant to provide practical skills to learners starting from grade 8 to 12. The study analysed how well the career pathway had been understood by stake holders, to what extent had the curriculum been implemented and determine the place of Musical Arts Education in schools with the introduction of career pathways. The results indicated that the concept of career paths was not fully understood because instead of allowing learners with guidance choose which path they would follow; schools tend to choose for learners the pathway they would want to follow. On the part of Musical Arts Education, the study indicated that the subject had so far suffered and pose challenge of diminution. The study also indicated that leaners’ career interest fluctuates as they grow.