Dominican musician Cornell “Fingers” Phillip has called for the reintroduction of music education in schools across Dominica, stressing its cultural and social importance. Speaking on the Creole Heartbeat Program recently, Phillip stressed that music is not only a creative outlet but also a vital part of shaping society.
“We need to bring that back as part of the curriculum for sure,” Phillip said. “We all know what music does to us. Music puts you in a mood, music does whatever it needs to do to you, and music is part of raising a society.”
He said music is deeply tied to Dominica’s heritage and should be reinstated on an official basis within the school day.
Phillip’s call for music education aligns with Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s vision of a more holistic and practical curriculum, suggesting that cultural enrichment and creative learning could play a central role in Dominica’s educational overhaul. In May 2025, Skerrit described the current education model as outdated and harmful to student development. At a press conference on May 26, Skerrit criticized the primary school curriculum for burdening students with up to 13 subjects, calling it “ridiculous.” He proposed a streamlined approach focusing on core subjects such as English, Mathematics, Social Studies, History, and Social Science, while integrating practical life skills like agriculture, carpentry, art, and civics.
“We’re not building a culture of collaboration. We’re not building a culture of cooperation. We’re not building students with analytical skills and critical thinking and comprehension,” Skerrit said, highlighting the need for a system that recognizes diverse talents and learning styles.
The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of extracurricular activities, including music and sports, as essential for fostering teamwork and collaboration. He warned that without urgent reform, Dominica risks losing an entire generation to what he described as “depressing situations” in schools.
Skerrit further noted that the education system must adapt to modern realities, including technological advancements and the rise of artificial intelligence, to better prepare students for the future.
Thanks Mr Phillip for your music education advocacy. I obviously support.
45+ years ago, then Chief Education Officer Peter Israel recognized a similar need and put out the call for US Peace Corps to help fill the need. I was one of two volunteers sent here (from 1982-84 Nancy Folkerts served in the Roseau area; I helped at PSS and 9 primary schools in the north, as well as putting together a book of folksongs).
Kudos to PM Skerritt for recognizing the need toward holistic education; let’s put our collective minds & hearts together to see how collaboratively we can turn these words turn into meaningful deeds.
Good for you Alan.
The piece corps has not done our education system any good. Has always been an instrument of colonial control in education. 45+ years we were all under Britain’s mono-crop policy, leaving school at 15 primarily to have a many heads to carry bananas for England. Sorry to hear you were used to that end but thanks to Elon that “aid” is no longer valid. We can now breath and follow India & China to take back our education, religious and cultural systems, I agree, do-for-self in order to make genuine progress.
Of course, music as well as African Studies should start at school.
For many years we’ve marveled at Kassav and other musicians who articulate and show levels of knowledge and understanding of music, largely due to exposure to music at school. Many are self taught, genius, but understand rudiments which must be taught at school. Even simply music-appreciation, choires, school bands as aspects of African Studies, drums, tambu, Belaire, goka should become natural within school carriculum.
If one looks at our musical history, the one thing that stands out is that, most of our groups/bands, were started by individuals who were in Secondary Schools, at that time.
Unfortunately, while growing up in Dominica 🇩🇲, a lot of us had no formal music education while at school, so we either privately tutored or self taught, so it would be a wonderful idea to incorporate music education in school.
Another disadvantage that we faced, is that most of us played by ear, because we were not able to read sheet music.
Music by nature allows for a more dynamic mental development characterized by effective coordination/harmony, discerning unique sounds and ryrhms and their unique contributions
This article , judging from the headline, should be about the introduction of music as part of the curriculum in schools. But it’s more about what Roosevelt said at his most recent propaganda conference.
I totally agree with the views expressed by Mr. ‘Fingers’ Phillip. Students should specifically learn music at an early age as it is such fosters significant cognitive, emotional and physical development. A child’s memory, language and literacy skills and motor coordination can be greatly enhanced by learning music.
Music and other skill-based subjects cater for the holistic development of the child. This can create more excitement in class and lead to future career paths.