{"id":359986,"date":"2026-04-23T14:41:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=359986"},"modified":"2026-04-23T14:41:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:41:27","slug":"dominican-musician-urges-return-of-music-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/news\/dominican-musician-urges-return-of-music-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Dominican Musician urges return of music education"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Dominican musician Cornell \u201cFingers\u201d 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<\/em> recently, Phillip stressed that music is not only a creative outlet but also a vital part of shaping society.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to bring that back as part of the curriculum for sure,\u201d Phillip said. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said music is deeply tied to Dominica\u2019s heritage and should be reinstated on an official basis within the school day.<\/p>\n

Phillip\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 In May 2025, Skerrit described the current education model as outdated and harmful to student development.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 \u201cridiculous.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not building a culture of collaboration. We\u2019re not building a culture of cooperation. We\u2019re not building students with analytical skills and critical thinking and comprehension,\u201d Skerrit said, highlighting the need for a system that recognizes diverse talents and learning styles.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cdepressing situations\u201d in schools.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dominican musician Cornell \u201cFingers\u201d 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…","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":359989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,235,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-359986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-educationyouth","category-homepage-carousel","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDominican Musician urges return of music education - Dominica News Online<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/news\/dominican-musician-urges-return-of-music-education\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dominican Musician urges return of music education - Dominica News Online\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dominican musician Cornell \u201cFingers\u201d Phillip has called for the reintroduction of music education in schools across Dominica, stressing its cultural and social importance. 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