THE Ministry of Education (MoE) is considering the possibility of employing specialist Music and Physical Education teachers at the primary school level.

During this week’s Education Sector Committee (ESC) meeting held on Tuesday, Administrator (ag) of the Unit of Allied Arts, Lorraine Barker-King presented a proposition paper on the issue.

According to Barker-King, the implementation of an expressive Arts programme in schools will contribute to the integration of the curriculum and a balanced education for schools across the country. Added to that, such an approach, she said, will provide the opportunity for students to develop respect for authority, colleagues and skills in critical thinking, decision making and conflict resolution.

Further, the Allied Arts administrator said it is hoped that such an approach would reduce the ratio of male to female teachers in primary schools which currently stands at 1 to 7. Barker- King said too that specialised teaching has become necessary due to large amounts of general content that primary school teachers are currently delivering in the classrooms.

She is also of the view that the expressive Arts are essential to the rounded development of pupils and it is imperative for these (Music and Physical Education) to be taught at a high level throughout the primary schools.